WATSON/I: WATerloo's SONically guided robot
✍ Scribed by F. Mavaddat
- Book ID
- 103918399
- Publisher
- Elsevier Science
- Year
- 1983
- Weight
- 749 KB
- Volume
- 6
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0745-7138
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Watson is designed to act as a messenger robot carrying mail and parcels between the rooms of an office building. To tind its way, the navigation subsystem must send ultrasonic waves, under program control, and measure the proximity of objects in the environment. This information can then be used in planning the next move which is passed to the drive subsystem. The drive subsystem, also under program control, must translate moves into independent rotations of the two drive wheels. The drive subsystem can be programmed to measure the actual wheel rotations and correct local deviations from the planned course, while the navigation subsystem is in overall control.
The main motive behind the design of Watson is that of building an aid to teaching and research. As an aid to teaching, it provides the students with a programmable machine of manageable complexity with tangible interfaces to the real world. This kind of programming experience, though in great need, is not easily gamed through the conventional modes of access to computers.
Watson also provides researchers with a tool for investigating the potential of using inexpensive sonar range finding systems in the navigation of mobile robots. Such robot's view of the world is that of a flatland. Flatlands have properties of theoretical interest and Watson should prove useful as a vehicle for testing these properties.
This paper deals with the description of the hardware and programming model of Watson.