Robotic Ledge Cleaner
A solar-powered robot that performs scheduled cleaning routines
#hardware #robotics #AVR #solarpower #PCBdesign #EAGLE #industrialdesign
OBJECTIVE
My classmates and I were tasked with creating a robot that would safely and efficiently clean the often-dusty ledges of our engineering faculty building. My tasks for the project included designing the robot's chassis, developing the brush system, programming the operation of the brush motors and drive motors, and designing the layout of our final circuit board. This served as the capstone project for my undergraduate degree.
Process
Using EAGLE, I designed the robot's printed circuit board. The board contains a microcontroller, motor drivers, and a charging circuit.
The robot's chassis was made from parts of a hobbyist robotics kit, the brushes came from a vacuum cleaner manufacturer, and the adjustable arms were custom built.
DESIGN
The Robotic Ledge Cleaner (RLC) slowly traverses its ledge, sweeping dust off to the side. Managed by a real-time clock, its cleaning cycle runs every two weeks to keep the ledge visibly clean. In order to ensure the safety of passersby, the RLC is equipped with several sensors that keep it from driving off of the ledge. When the robot is not implementing its cleaning cycle, it goes into sleep mode to conserve power. The RLC also has a solar panel that recharges its lithium polymer battery whenever there is enough sunlight present.
Collaborators
The Robotic Ledge Cleaner was made in collaboration with Aaron Evans and Shawn Greig.