Overview

In this project, my teammates and I worked on a PID controller for the Lego Mindstorm Unmanned Vehicle. We designed the controller and distance sensor to complete the following tasks: path tracking, parking, and platooning.

Ideas

Here's the route that the UV went through.

Implementations

We firstly tested a few designs to build the UV to find a good structure that provided relatively high speed and stability. Then, we coded the PID controller in MATLAB. I was in charge of the hardware part and designed the distance sensor. I used the 555 timer to generate PWM signals for the ultrasonic sensor and then filtered the results by an RC low pass filter. Lastly, we write programs to do fine tunings.

Reflections

I enjoyed working on this project and found it very helpful to exercise theories that I learned from classes. I had a dream where I was a PID controller with automation tuning features. I also wrote a long reflection called "If I were a PID Controller, which I couldn't find anymore.