Project

# Title Team Members TA Documents Sponsor
39 The Illini Wagon
Ian Watson
Neha Joseph
Ramya Reddy
 John Li design_document1.pdf
final_paper1.pdf
grading_sheet1.pdf
proposal1.pdf
proposal2.pdf
video
Self Driving Wagon

Team Members:
- Neha Joseph (nehaej2)
- Ian Watson (ianjw2)
- Ramya Reddy (ramyar3)

# Problem
College students and urban dwellers often face the challenge of carrying heavy loads while walking across campuses or within walkable cities. Whether heading to a tailgate, a picnic, grocery shopping, or hosting an outdoor event, transporting multiple items can be inconvenient and physically demanding. While existing solutions like rolling carts and backpacks provide some relief, they still require manual effort and become impractical over long distances.

With the rise of walkable cities and car-free urban spaces, there is a growing need for a hands-free, autonomous way to carry personal belongings over short distances without relying on traditional vehicles.

# Solution

We propose a self-driving smart wagon that autonomously follows the user using GPS tracking while carrying their items.

# Solution Components

## Subsystem 1 – Robot Controls System
The Robot Controls System utilizes an ESP32 microcontroller to receive Bluetooth data, enabling seamless communication with the user. It integrates the Adafruit Ultimate GPS Breakout Board for precise navigation to provide GPS coordinates. Additionally, the MCU interfaces with the motor system to control the vehicle’s motion, ensuring smooth and responsive movement.

Components:

1 x ESP32 Microcontroller

2 x Adafruit Ultimate GPS Breakout Board



## Subsystem 2 – Motor Control
We will equip the wagon with two 12V DC motors (3420) for propulsion and a servo motor (Tower Pro MG996) for steering, powered by a 12V battery (ML7-12 SLA). The steering system and electronic speed controller (ESC) will be integrated into a custom PCB, with velocity controlled via pulse width modulation (PWM). The wagon's speed, and equally voltage supplied to the DC motors, will dynamically adjust based on its distance from the user. Designed to handle loads of up to 30 lbs with ease, we may explore smaller, more cost-effective components to enhance efficiency while staying within budget.

Components:

2x 3420 DC motors for propulsion

1x Tower Pro MG996 Servo motor for steering

1x ML7-12 SLA Battery


## Subsystem 3 – Human Tracking System

This subsystem will include a Bluetooth module and a secondary GPS module. The user will carry this system in their pocket. The GPS module will output coordinate data to the Bluetooth module, which will then transmit this data to the MCU. The MCU will also receive location data from the on-unit GPS module (described in a previous subsystem). These two data streams will enable the MCU to calculate distance and directional information, which will be sent to the motor control subsystem.

Components:

Bluetooth Module (HC-05/HC-06 or RN-41) – transmit coordinate data to MCU

The Adafruit Ultimate GPS Breakout Board – send location data to bluetooth module

# Criterion For Success

Describe high-level goals that your project needs to achieve to be effective. These goals need to be clearly testable and not subjective.

Robot can follow a human in an open, outdoor space with no obstacles.
Robot is able to follow human around a bend/corner.
Robot is able to carry a load between 10-15 lbs.
Robot is able to maintain a set level of distance between itself and the human.
Robot can be turned on/off.
Robot is able to navigate around a singular obstacle placed in its path.

A successful project will complete 4 out of 6 of these goals, with the sixth goal being a reach goal. To demonstrate and test the robot, we will run the robot in the main quad with weighted items.

Covert Communication Device

Ahmad Abuisneineh, Srivardhan Sajja, Braeden Smith

Covert Communication Device

Featured Project

**Partners (seeking one additional partner)**: Braeden Smith (braeden2), Srivardhan Sajja (sajja3)

**Problem**: We imagine this product would have a primary use in military/law enforcement application -- especially in dangerous, high risk missions. During a house raid or other sensitive mission, maintaining a quiet profile and also having good situational awareness is essential. That mean's that normal two way radios can't work. And alternatives, like in-ear radios act as outside->in communication only and also reduce the ability to hear your surroundings.

**Solution**: We would provide a series of small pocketable devices with long battery that would use LoRa radios to provide a range of 1-5 miles. They would be rechargeable and have a single recessed soft-touch button that would allow someone to find it inside of pockets and tap it easily. The taps would be sent in real-time to all other devices, where they would be translated into silent but noticeable vibrations. (Every device can obviously TX/RX).

Essentially a team could use a set of predetermined signals or even morse code, to quickly and without loss of situational awareness communicate movements/instructions to others who are not within line-of-sight.

The following we would not consider part of the basic requirements for success, but additional goals if we are ahead of schedule:

We could also imagine a base-station which would allow someone using a computer to type simple text that would be sent out as morse code or other predetermined patterns. Additionally this base station would be able to record and monitor the traffic over the LoRa channels (including sender).

**Solutions Components**:

- **Charging and power systems**: the device would have a single USB-C/Microusb port that would connect to charging circuitry for the small Lithium-ion battery (150-500mAh). This USB port would also connect to the MCU. The subsystem would also be responsible to dropping the lion (3.7-4.2V to a stable 3.3V logic level). and providing power to the vibration motor.

- **RF Communications**: we would rely on externally produced RF transceivers that we would integrate into our PCB -- DLP-RFS1280, https://www.sparkfun.com/products/16871, https://www.adafruit.com/product/3073, .

-**Vibration**: We would have to research and source durable quiet, vibration motors that might even be adjustable in intensity

- **MCU**: We are likely to use the STM32 series of MCU's. We need it to communicate with the transceiver (probably SPI) and also control the vibration motor (by driving some transistor). The packets that we send would need to be encrypted (probably with AES). We would also need it to communicate to a host computer for programming via the same port.

- **Structural**: For this prototype, we'd imagine that a simple 3d printed case would be appropriate. We'd have to design something small and relatively ergonomic. We would have a single recessed location for the soft-touch button, that'd be easy to find by feel.

**Basic criterion for success:** We have at least two wireless devices that can reliably and quickly transfer button-presses to vibrations on the other device. It should operate at at *least* 1km LOS. It should be programmable + chargeable via USB. It should also be relatively compact in size and quiet to use.

**Additional Success Criterion:** we would have a separate, 3rd device that can stay permanently connected to a computer. It would provide some software that would be able to send and receive from the LoRa radio, especially ASCII -> morse code.