User:Davidmichael47/enes100/fall2013/p2Fido504

Problem Statement (Finish description)
Our client Mr. Plotnick has a car chassis which has only wheels and wires. It is still functional but there is nothing that shows that from the first look. Our job is to not only make this equipment work again but we have to make it follow a moving object. Our client didn't specifically say the car had to follow a person. This project will have to be efficient and must work properly. There are many ways we can start developing the project but we will have to do whatever proves to be the best option.

Conceive
Market/Customer Needs .......

Customer wants a robot that follows the user by following within 2 feet of the operator.

Initial target goals ........

1) Figure out what powers the car chassis. 2) Find out what motor the car is running on. 3) Find a power source for the car chassis. 4) Find a sensor that reads distances.
 * The car has a label which tells that it needs a 9.6v battery to work.
 * There is a 9.6v battery that works and it is used to power the whole project.
 * The motor the cars run on are DC motors which alternate current to change directions.
 * The moto motor shield from sparkfun is very effective for the motors.
 * This car can be powered by any external source that supplies 9.6v.
 * There are different ways to get a good sensor to read distances. Here are examples of tools which can be used to accomplish this task.

5) Program sensor with motors to co-ordinate together to follow a person using Arduino.

6) Test if the robot follows a person as required.

System performance metrics ........

1) Follow a person at at least 1-2 feet behind them. 2) Can be able to back up to stay within 1-2 feed from the operator.

Design

 * Reverse Engineering:
 * Operations Manuals found
 * No operational manuals found.
 * Training video and tutorials found
 * No training videos or tutorials used.
 * Service Manuals found
 * No service manual used
 * Theory of Operation
 * The break down into assemblies and modules
 * The Design Process
 * Alternatives
 * Prototypes tested
 * Iteration
 * Final Design
 * Utilization of Knowledge in Design
 * Technical and scientific knowledge
 * Creativity, problem solving and group decision-making
 * Multi-Objective Design (DFX Design_for_X or Design For Excellence)
 * Aesthetics and human factors
 * Implementation, verification, test and environmental sustainability
 * Maintainability, reliability, and safety
 * Robustness, evolution, product improvement and retirement
 * Robustness, evolution, product improvement and retirement

We found no operational manuals, and we never used any training videos or tutorials. The car runs on a 9.6v Nickel Cadmium battery that powers a unknown motor.

Implementation

 * We decided to use a 9.6v Ni-Dc battery to operate the car and the arduino.
 * The motor shield is what we will use to run the motors and have them go in specific directions.
 * The motors wires are connected to the motor shield and the cars wires are connected to the battery.
 * The arduino is currently powered by the pc but there will be an external battery in the future.
 * With the addition wires there will be a need of a breadboard.