Automatic Vacuum Cleaner Project

Design & fabrication of Automatic vacuum cleaner A Project Report Submitted in partial fulfilment For the award of the Degree of Bachelor of Technology In Department of Mechanical Engineering

Supervisor:

Submitted By:

Mrs. M.Y. Nowsath Begam

Himanshu Katara(10ESKME045)

Reader

Deepak Agrawal (10ESKME031)

Mechanical Department,

Manitabh Gulpadia (10ESKME064)

SKIT, Jaipur.

Department of Mechanical Engineering Swami Keshvanand Institute of Technology, Management &Gramothan, Jaipur Rajasthan Technical University May 2014 0

Design & fabrication of Automatic vacuum cleaner A Project Report Submitted in partial fulfilment For the award of the Degree of Bachelor of Technology In Department of Mechanical Engineering

Supervisor:

Submitted By:

Mrs. M.Y. Nowsath Begam

Himanshu Katara(10ESKME045)

Reader

Deepak Agrawal (10ESKME031)

Mechanical Department,

Manitabh Gulpadia (10ESKME064)

SKIT, Jaipur.

Department of Mechanical Engineering Swami Keshvanand Institute of Technology, Management &Gramothan, Jaipur Rajasthan Technical University May 2014 i

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the project report entitled “Design & fabrication of Automatic vacuum cleaner” has been submitted by us for fulfilment of the partial requirement of B-Tech Degree in mechanical branch. The work contained in this report is carried out by us under the guidance of Mrs. M.Y. Nowsath Begam and under the coordination of Mr. Ved Prakash Verma.

Supervisor:

Name of students:

Mrs. M. Y. Nowsath Begam

Himanshu Katara (10ESKME045)

(Signature)

Deepak Agrawal (10ESKME031) Manitabh Gulpadia (10ESKME064)

Project Coordinator: Mr. Ved Prakash Verma (Signature)

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT

We would like to take this opportunity to express our thanks and gratitude to all the persons who have directly or indirectly availed us in guiding our project “Design & fabrication of Automatic vacuum cleaner”. The assiduous help presumed by our guide Mrs. Nowsath Begam (Reader, mechanical deptt., SKIT, Jaipur) was an inevitable part of the successful consummation of our project. We also thank Mr. Ved Prakash Verma (Lecturer, SKIT,Jaipur), Mr. Ajay Dhanopia (Lecturer, SKIT,Jaipur) & Dr. Alok Mathur (Professor, mechanical deptt., SKIT, Jaipur) for their precious advice & coordination. We thank our college authorities Dr. S. L. Surana (Director, SKIT, jaipur), Dr. S. R. Calla (Principle, SKIT, Jaipur) & Dr. N. K. Banthiya (HOD, mechanical deptt., SKIT, jaipur), for permitting us to make use of the facilities available in the department to carry out the project successfully. We thank our parents and friends for all their support during the making of the project. We also thank all other seen as well as unseen members who made us available all the hardware resources as well as other inevitable help for the successful completion of the project.

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ABSTRACT

Robotics is a valuable educational tool that introduces students to a variety of different engineering disciplines such as electrical, computer, and mechanical engineering. In order to prove that this work can be accomplished in one semester an autonomous vacuum robot was designed and built. This report describes the development of a vacuum cleaner robot prototype. There is a 2”x3” circuit board used for the body of our robot, and the total size of the robot is about 6 inches in width and 8 inches in length. The height of our robot is about 4 inches. On the board, we build our circuit. A mini portable vacuum cleaner is attached in back of the chassis and we put the IR sensors on the front of the chassis that we used to detect the obstacles when the robot is moving. There is a the concept of changing of polarity of motor used to change the direction of the automatic vacuum cleaner. This was done with the help of relays. A DC motor was used to move the whole assembly. Both the hardware and software are successfully running simple algorithms for obstacles avoidance and desire destination. This prototype also provides a valuable model for future robot.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE PAGE

i

CERTIFICATE

ii

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

iii

ABSTRACT

iv

1.

INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1 1.1 A BRIEF INTRODUCTION ABOUT THE PROJECT UNDERTAKEN: .................... 1 1.2 OBJECTIVE: ................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 AIM: ................................................................................................................................. 2

2.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE ............................................................................................. 3 2.1 SAMSUNG TANGO VACUUM CLEANER ROBOTS ................................................ 3 2.2 PRODUCT DEFINITION: .............................................................................................. 4 2.3 TARGET GROUP: .......................................................................................................... 5

3.

PRODUCT CONCEPT AND MARKET SURVEYS ...................................................... 7 3.1 PRODUCT CONCEPT: .................................................................................................. 7 3.1.1 SELECTION OF THE PROJECT: .......................................................................... 7 3.1.2 NEED OF THE PROJECT: ....................................................................................... 8 3.2 MARKET SURVEYS:..................................................................................................... 8

4. COMPONENTS & CIRUIT DIAGRAM ............................................................................ 10 4.1 BILL OF MATERIAL: .................................................................................................. 10 4.2 COMPONENTS:............................................................................................................ 10 4.2.1. MECHANICAL COMPONENTS: ........................................................................ 10 4.2.2. ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS:........................................................................... 12 4.3 CIRCUIT & PROGRAMMING PART: ........................................................................ 23 4.4 FINALIZED PROJECT: ................................................................................................ 27 5. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD & ANALYSIS .................................................................... 26 5.1 USER TEST 1 (EXISTING PRODUCTS) .................................................................... 28 5.2 USER TEST 2 (CONCEPTS AND IDEAS) ................................................................. 29 v

5.3 USER TEST 3 (PRINCIPLES) ...................................................................................... 29 5.4 USER TEST 4 (THREE CONCEPTS) .......................................................................... 30 5.5 USER TEST 5 (FINAL DESIGN) ................................................................................. 31 6. CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................... 32 7. FUTURE SCOPE OF WORK ............................................................................................. 33 REFERENCES : ...................................................................................................................... 34

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LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1 Samsung Vacuum Cleaner (Hearn, 2010) ................................................................ 4 Figure 2.2 Target group ............................................................................................................. 5 Figure 2.3 Evaluation of existing robot technology................................................................... 6 Figure4.1 Vacuum cleaner ....................................................................................................... 11 Figure4.2 Nylon wheel and revolving wheel ........................................................................... 11 Figure4.3 Caster wheel ............................................................................................................ 11 Figure 4.4 DC motor ................................................................................................................ 12 Figure 4.5 A DPDT AC coil relay ........................................................................................... 13 Figure 4.6 IC 7805 voltage Regulator...................................................................................... 15 Figure 4.7 7805 Voltage regulator ic circuit ............................................................................ 16 Figure 4.8 IR Sensor Module ................................................................................................... 16 Figure 4.9 Resistance ............................................................................................................... 17 Figure 4.10 L.E.D. (light emitting diode) ................................................................................ 18 Figure 4.11 MOSFET .............................................................................................................. 19 Figure 4.12 IR transmitter & IR receiver ................................................................................. 20 Figure 4.13 Circuit Diagram of IR Sensor Module ................................................................. 20 Figure4.14 Infrared IR object Detection Sensor ...................................................................... 21 Figure 4.15 A Micro-controller................................................................................................ 21 Figure 4.16 System flow chart ................................................................................................. 22 Figure 4.17 Circuit diagram ..................................................................................................... 23 Figure 4.18 Different views of project ..................................................................................... 27 Figure 5.1 User's need………..................................................................................................31

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LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Capabilities and Limitations of the Samsung Vacuum Cleaner Robot ....................... 4 Table 2 Bill of material ............................................................................................................ 10

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CHAPTER 1 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 A BRIEF INTRODUCTION ABOUT THE PROJECT UNDERTAKEN: This report describes the work done in B. Tech project. After considering various project ideas and evaluating them for feasibility of completion, generating a physical product and be of permanent use in the department, there was decided to fabricate & design a robotic vacuum cleaner which can be used for residential & small industries purposes. 1.2 OBJECTIVE: The objective of the project is to design, fabricate and test a vacuum cleaner which is effective in cost, easy to manufacture and find its application in different fields such as in industries, in residential areas, where dust particles are produced. The secondary objective is that this machine should be operated without any wire & no effort is required by human beings to operate it so that it can be used remoty residential areas & small industies as a substitute of human sweeper. The mission is to fabricate and design an autonomous robot that will assist people at home who are too busy for daily or weekly floor cleaning, especially for families with children. In particular for the elderly who live by themselves and do not have the strength or ability to clean. Automatic vacuum cleaners in the market are expensive and inefficient in terms of cleaning time and cleanness. The goal is to design an omni directional platform with infrared sensors & other sensors on every side to improve the cited cleaning performance problems. The robotic vacuum cleaner is intended as a machine which collects dust particles at a particlular area. In our machine power will be delivered by a battery. The vacuum cleaner is the most commonly used device nowadays that is used in every household in order to maintain a clean and healthy environment. A great abundance of companies that design and produce vacuum cleaners can be seen today on the market. The vacuum cleaners vary in many different characteristics like types, prices, number of functions, number of additional equipment, sizes, etc., so that they can meet different needs and priorities.

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In this project the vacuum cleaner was reviewed from another point of view. The focus fell on the accessibility and usability of this type of product for people with impairments and disabilities and how a vacuum cleaner can meet special needs. Nowadays only in Sweden today there are 1.3 million people with decreased mobility in arms and hands, 1 million who suffer from rheumatism (Funka NU, 2012). On the other hand there are more people who grow old and in the future there will be bigger percentage of people who will experience different health problems. Furthermore, those people are becoming more and more demanding regarding their quality of life and this increases the need of products that can satisfy their requirements. Growing old or developing a particular disease affects people‟s daily life and activities. Elementary tasks, connected with product usage and usually performed unconsciously, tend to become problematic and frustrating since they cause discomfort, pain and in some they are even impossible. 1.3 AIM: The aim of this project was to create a design of a product that cleans with vacuum which can meet the needs of large group of people. A clear picture of the users demands was to created. The main goal of the project was to develop the new product from the user needs and demands further. The new vacuum cleaner concept was to deliver solution for problems that users have had experienced while interacting with such type of a product. The main objectives of our project are: 

To model a vacuum cleaner with robotic control.



To save time and power by automatic control.



To make the task of cleaning easier.



To come up with some new ideas concerning vacuum cleaning.

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CHAPTER 2 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE This chapter explains about the function of the main component that being uses to build the vacuum cleaner robot .This project also exposed on research to build the cleaner system that can vacuum the carpet and can clean the floor. The unwanted particle that lay on the floor will be brushed away the suck through a hole then filtered. Therefore, this method is very familiar for most of engineering student in this country where I believe it will bring a lot of challenge and creativity and I like to modify something that can become useful. This project is divided by two part which is vacuuming and cleaning system and controlling the movement of robot. The literature review can give some rough ideas to help on developing the project successfully and be able to achieve the objectives that have been outlined. Before any development can take place, a research must be carried out on all the possible components that will be used in the autonomous robot. The internet is the place where detailed explanations on a few reference and terminologies of similar projects previously created by others can be found and there is no other place to easily get the data sheets of the components used. Other than that, the autonomous robot competitions themselves are also another good source of information. The information is very useful and helpful to this project, especially only the issues such as microcontroller, mobile platform design, circuit layout and sensor placement. Below are some of the important theories that related to this project, such as IR reflection law that lead to line detection of the robot, LCD functions, basic idea of line following and maze solving theory, PMW, H-bridge used in motor driver and so forth. These theories should be fully understood before starting the project 2.1 SAMSUNG TANGO VACUUM CLEANER ROBOTS This robotic system, as shown in Figure 2.1, moves through a room sucking dust from any surface it comes in contact with. It runs on a battery.

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Figure 2.1 Samsung Vacuum Cleaner

This robot has low noise levels without any high frequency elements usually generated by the motor and the brush. Table 1 shows the capabilities of this robot.

CAPABILITIES

LIMITATIONS

Has 13 sensors allowing interaction with Remote control has a limited range in how environment

far it can work

Some are crash sensors which detects

Operation time is only 2hrs

furniture and feet 2cm away Uses remote control for operator ease Has a daily scheduling option Table 1: Capabilities and Limitations of the Samsung Vacuum Cleaner Robot

The various sensors integrated in this robot allow it to clean with precision and find its way back to its docking station.

2.2 PRODUCT DEFINITION: Generally, a vacuum cleaner can be defined as: “An electrically operated appliance that removes soiled material (dust, fibre, threads) from the surface to be cleaned by airflow created by a vacuum developed within the unit by an electrically powered vacuum generator or fan. The material thus removed is separated and stored in the appliance and the cleaned

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suction air is returned to the ambient.” Vacuum cleaners exist in a variety of sizes, shapes and models for domestic and commercial use and for different applications. 2.3 TARGET GROUP: The focus for this project falls on three main target group. The biggest target group consists of elderly over 65 years old who live independently at their homes who might have developed musculoskeletal disorders and reduced eyesight. Second target group is people from 16 to 65 years of age who have different musculoskeletal disorders in different body parts. Third focus group is people from 16 to 65 years of age who have reduce eyesight.

Figure 2.2 Target group

These were our primary targets. The secondary targets were following: 

It should be environmentally friendly.



It should be the leader in economic robotic vacuum cleaners.



It can be used for average size room.

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We had various challenges like limited literatures on selected project. The great task was to research on constraints for uncertain environment conditions. We designed an appropriate robotic vacuum cleaner to deal with such conditions.

Figure 2.3 Evaluation of existing robot technology

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CHAPTER 3 3. PRODUCT CONCEPT AND MARKET SURVEYS 3.1 PRODUCT CONCEPT: 3.1.1 SELECTION OF THE PRO JECT: The selection of the project Design, Fabrication and Testing of Automatic Vacuum Cleaner is done on the criteria as given in the table.

S.no.

Criterion\ Projects

Automatic Vacuum Cleaner

Automatic drilling machine

Paddle operated mobile charger

1.

Time

+

-

0

2.

Money

-

+

0

3.

Feasibility

+

0

0

4.

Size

0

+

0

5.

Market Value

+

-

0

6.

Safety

+

+

0

7.

Resources Availability

+

0

0

8.

Efficiency

0

+

0

Sum +s

5

4

0

Sum 0s

2

2

8

Sum –s

1

2

0

Net Score

4

2

0

Rank

1

2

3

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3.1.2 NEED OF THE PROJECT: 1. Cleaning under furniture without bending. 2. Visible & accessible controls. 3. Easy to maintain. 4. Easy to transport.

5. Visible & accessible cord 3.2 MARKET SURVEYS: We carried out market survey about our project and then we collect the responses and analyze them. We get most positive answers. The question asked in the analysis is:-

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Thus, There is a positive response of market survey for our project which encourages us to proceed further take it to further stage which is design of the parts 9

CHAPTER 4 4. COMPONENTS & CIRCUIT DIAGRAM 4.1 BILL OF MATERIAL: First of all this is the bill of material which describes the components used. Sr. no. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Purpose

Quantity

DC gear motor 12V, 500 rpm Caster wheel Vacuum cleaner Wheels Relay Relay driver transistor Condenser 220mfv, 25 V Diode IN40007 Resistance (220 ohm & 330 ohm) IC 7805 voltage Regulator IR sensor Micro controller (ATMEG8) Battery 9V Battery 1.5V Total

10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

1 1 1 2 2 1 2 1 2

Cost (in rupees) 190 20 250 90 25 10 5 2 10

Total cost (in rupees) 190 20 250 180 50 10 10 2 20

1 2 1 3 4

15 40 70 250 15

15 80 70 750 25 1707

Table 2 Bill of material

4.2 COMPONENTS: The basic elements, we used are of two types: 1. Mechanical Components 2. Electrical Components

4.2.1. MECHANICAL COMPONENTS: VACUUM CLEANER: In this project, there was a need of a vacuum cleaner which is light in weight so there was used a mini USB vacuum cleaner Which had these properties: 

Colour: Yellow



Dimensions: 7.6 x 3.8 x 1.3cm



Weight: 32 g



Height: 13 mm



LED Light, High Power button 10

Figure4.1 Vacuum cleaner

WHEELS: Two wheels are used at rear position in this project .Both two wheels are given power & are controlled by two motors .These wheels are also used for bearing loads placed on the board.

Figure4.1 Nylon wheel and revolving wheel

Another caster wheel was used in front wheel to support the assembly.

Figure 4.3 Caster wheel

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DC MOTOR: The system needs motors to power the rollers for cleaning and the wheels for motion. In the design, one motor is used to rotate the rear wheel. Another motor is used to rotate the front wheel. Each wheel has a DC motor. It has a metal gear box inside. It requires 12 volts & it produces the angular velocity of 15 RPM. It produces torque of 1.0 kgf.cm.

Figure 4.4 DC motor

4.2.2. Electrical components:

RELAY: Relay is a device which is used to convert the polarity of the motor. It commands to the rear wheel motor. If the sensor senses the object, the relay changes the polarity of the motor. The motor starts rotating in reverse direction so the direction of the robot machine is changed.

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Figure 4.5 A DPDT AC coil relay

We used two coil relays in our robot machine. A coil relay used to create a DPDT (Double Pole Double Throw) switch. Since relays are switches, the terminology applied to switches is also applied to relays; a relay switches one or more poles, each of whose contacts can be thrown by energizing the coil in one of three ways: 

Normally-open (NO) contacts connect the circuit when the relay is activated; the circuit is disconnected when the relay is inactive. It is also called a Form A contact or "make" contact. NO contacts may also be distinguished as "earlymake" or NOEM, which means that the contacts close before the button or switch is fully engaged.



Normally-closed (NC) contacts disconnect the circuit when the relay is activated; the circuit is connected when the relay is inactive. It is also called a Form B contact or "break" contact. NC contacts may also be distinguished as "late-break" or NCLB, which means that the contacts stay closed until the button or switch is fully disengaged.



Change-over (CO), or double-throw (DT), contacts control two circuits: one normally-open contact and one normally-closed contact with a common terminal. It is also called a Form C contact or "transfer" contact ("break before make"). If this type of contact utilizes a "make before break" functionality, then it is called a Form D contact.

The following designations are commonly encountered:

SPST: Single Pole Single Throw. These have two terminals which can be connected or disconnected. Including two for the coil, such a relay has four terminals in total. It

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is ambiguous whether the pole is normally open or normally closed. The terminology "SPNO" and "SPNC" is sometimes used to resolve the ambiguity.

SPDT: Single Pole Double Throw. A common terminal connects to either of two others. Including two for the coil, such a relay has five terminals in total.

DPST: Double Pole Single Throw. These have two pairs of terminals; Equivalent to two SPST switches or relays actuated by a single coil. Including two for the coil, such a relay has six terminals in total. The poles may be Form A or Form B (or one of each).

DPDT: Double Pole Double Throw. These have two rows of change-over terminals; Equivalent to two SPDT switches or relays actuated by a single coil. Such a relay has eight terminals, including the coil.

Circuit symbols of relays. (C denotes the common terminal in SPDT and DPDT types.)

The "S" or "D" may be replaced with a number, indicating multiple switches connected to a single actuator.

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IC 7805 VOLTAGE REGULATOR: Voltage regulator IC's are the IC‟s that are used to regulate voltage. IC 7805 is a 5V Voltage Regulator that restricts the voltage output to 5V and draws 5V regulated power supply. It comes with provision to add heat sink. The maximum value for input to the voltage regulator is 35V. It can provide a constant steady voltage flow of 5V for higher voltage input till the threshold limit of 35V. If the voltage is near to 7.5V then it does not produce any heat and hence no need for heat sink. If the voltage input is more, then excess electricity is liberated as heat from 7805.

Figure 4.6 IC 7805 voltage Regulator

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Figure 4.7 7805 VOLTAGE REGULATOR IC CIRCUIT

IR SENSOR MODULE: An IR Sensor module is a sensor that transmits and receives infra-red rays when a surface or object is detected. It is used in the front side of the robot machine. It consists of some small components which are following.

Figure 4.8 IR Sensor Module

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COMPONENTS OF IR SENSOR MODULE: 

Breadboard – 1 no



IC LM358 – 1 no



IC 7805 – 1 no



IR Transmitter – 1 no



IR Receiver – 1 no



10µf Capacitors – 2 nos



9V Battery – 1 no



Battery Snap – 1 no



10K Trimpot – 1 no



LED – 2 nos



10K Resistor – 2 nos



1K Resistor – 2 nos



Breadboard Wires RESISTORS: A device which is us used to resist current in an electrical circuit. Resistors can be

made from different material. But the most common is carbon composition (Graphite plus binding agent).Basically it is small and thin section of carbon composition with Lead at each end. Resistance is measured in Ohms & is represented by the Greek symbol Omega. To abbreviate a bit, prefixes are generally used to indicate a multiplier or resistance value. Typically we see just two of these: K=thousand; 1KΩ =1,000 Ω M=million; 1MΩ =1,000,000 Ω =1000 KΩ

Figure 4.9 Resistance

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VARIABLE RESISTANCE: Variable resistance shows different values of resistance in different position within a predefined range. In our circuit we used 100 kΩ variable resistances. L.E.D. (LIGHT EMITTING DIODE) : It is one kind of colour bulb. It emits visible light when current passes in forward direction. It also has polarity. Generally it can withstand 5 to 25 mA of current .So fixed variable resistor is used in series for it‟s safety.

Figure 4.10 L.E.D. (light emitting diode)

MOSFET: The „„metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor‟‟ is a device, used to amplify or switch electronic signals. It is by far the most common field effect transistor in both digital & analog circuits. It is composed of a channel of p-type & n-type semiconductor material & is accordingly called a PMOSFET & an NMOSFET. → IRF840 is used to drive each dc motor connected with two front wheel. →33 A, 100V , 0.04 Ω , N-Channel Power MOSFET →Ultra low On-Resistance

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Figure 4.11 MOSFET

IR (INFRA-RED) TRANSMITTER: It is used to send infra-red which will be reflected somehow if there is an object in front of it.

IR (INFRA-RED) RECEIVER: It is used to receive the infra-red which has been reflected towards it and it makes a corresponding voltage change.

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Figure 4.12 IR transmitter & IR receiver

CIRCUIT DIAGRAM:

Figure 4.13 Circuit Diagram of IR Sensor Module

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WORKING:

Figure4.14 Infrared IR object Detection Sensor

The IR led keeps transmitting IR infrared rays up to some range. When some object comes in the (IR) infrared range, the IR waves hits the object and comes back at some angle, The Photo diode next to IR led detects that IR infrared rays which got reflected from the object and hence works as a proximity sensor.

MICRO-CONTROLLER: ATmega-8 microcontroller is used in this project.

Figure 4.15 A Micro-controller

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SYSTEM FLOW CHART:

Figure 4.16 System flow chart

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4.3 CIRCUIT & PROGRAMMING PART:

Figure 4.17 Circuit diagram

PROGRAMMING PART: The code is written in Programming language C in AVR Studio 4. PonyProg 2000 software is used to download the program from computer to the micro-controller. The code is given below : #include #include double ADC_value; int a,b; int test=0; ISR(ADC_vect) //Interrupt function { ADC_value = ADCL; ADC_value += (ADCH<<8);

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ADC_value = ADC_value * 100; ADC_value = ADC_value/1024; if(ADC_value>40) //If the voltage drop across LED is more than 2 volts { for(a=0;a<1000;a++) { for(b=0;b<500;b++) //The robot will turn left for 5 seconds { PORTD=26; //Decimal form of 11010 } } PORTD=23; if(test>5) //Will stop robot after facing obstacles for 5 times { PORTD=0; //All output is stopped while(1) {} } test++; } ADCSRA |=(1<
{ ADMUX |=(1<
} } } return 0; }

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4.4 FINALIZED PROJECT: These are final views of the project:

Figure 4.18 Different views of project

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CHAPTER 5 5. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD & ANALYSIS User tests are special method that is used to evaluate different products, solutions and concepts. The tests are conducted with test persons that have been chosen according to the target group for the project. The test persons are specially trained to evaluate new solutions and proposals during the process on sketches, mock-ups and rough sketch models. User test take places within all previously mentioned stages of the project. During this project five user tests were conducted. Eleven test persons with disabilities and impairments participated in the tests altogether. The tests were conducted periodically during the whole process. All new design solutions and propositions are based on the results and the conclusions from the tests.

5.1 USER TEST 1 (EXISTING PRODUCTS) During the first test users were asked to test existing types of products: They evaluated different functions and thus outlined problems regarding the usage of the product. Three test persons participated in the test. This user test was part of the research stage of the project. The results from the user test showed several problematic issues connected to the vacuum cleaner usages that need to be taken into consideration. The new product should aim:• To provide visible and comfortable handle to carry; • To provide visible and accessible place for the cord; • To provide distinguished buttons to operate with; • To provide accessible button to turn ON/OFF (by hand or foot); • To provide adjustable handle height; • To be as light as possible; • Eliminate unnatural position during the cleaning process; • To be easy to maintain (cleaning and storing).

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5.2 USER TEST 2 (CONCEPTS AND IDEAS) In the second user tests users were asked to discuss new ideas that have the potential to solve the problems that had been outlined from the first user test. The level of judging was on an abstract level since the discussion is based on rough hand sketches and models. Five test persons participated in the test. The development of the new product should continue with:PIPE: • Solutions that allow the pipe to bend in 90° easily; • Solutions to solving the steering issue when the pipe is bent.

MACHINE BODY: • More options for the ON/OFF & cord controls; • The body should be kept as high as possible; • Solution for folding/unfolding the wheels easily; • 3 in 1 concept is interesting but doesn‟t fit into the projects goals.

5.3 USER TEST 3 (PRINCIPLES) In the third user test users were comparing and evaluating different principles for the different functions that the product has. They were provided with several options to chose from for each of the function of the product.

CONTROLS: • Controls on the handle are preferable; • Having controls on both the handle and the machine is the best; • Up-down button is the best on the handle; • It should be able to turn it on with one hand when the button is on the handle; • User should be able to choose how to press controls when they are on the machine (different options); • Big buttons are preferable - easy to be seen.

TRANSPORTATION HANDLE: • Should be reachable without extreme bending; 29

• Should be placed so that the machine goes alone the body; • Could be adjustable in height; • Shouldn‟t stick out too much from the body (storage).

OPENING AND CLEANING: • The lid opening should be placed as high as possible; • The lid should be easy to open; • There should be convenient area where the user can hold the lid; • There should be good view of what it is inside; • The bag should be easy to reach and change.

5.4 USER TEST 4 (THREE CONCEPTS) In the forth user test the users were asked to test three different models where each model diverse from the others in its function. User test 2, 3, and 4 were part of the Ideation stage of the project.

HANDLE SWITCH: • Better to turn ON/OFF with controls on the handle than on the machine; • Much faster to turn ON/OFF (no need to go to the machine); • Good that there is option to use both your thumb or a whole grip; • It‟s preferable to have buttons both on the machine and the handle; • There should be grooves or relief to provide good and stable grip.

MACHINE BODIES: • All types of machines bring the machine in up-right position; • All types have convenient placement for the lid and the lifting handle; • Fold/Unfold wheels should be avoided; • Both flipping and tipping concepts are easy to use; • The foot surface should provide stability when you step on it; • The foot surface should be as low as possible; • The foot surface should be wide in order to fit to every foot size.

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CORD PLACEMENT AND GRIP: • The cord is easily seen when it is on the top of the machine; • The cord is easily reached when it is on top of the machine; • The cord grip makes dragging it out easier; • The grip should be smaller and made with groves or relief for better grip; • The plug should be visible.

5.5 USER TEST 5 (FINAL DESIGN) During the last user test users evaluated the final design solution. In this test they also compared the new design with an existing product. This test was part of the Realization stage of the product.

Figure 5.1 User's need

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CHAPTER 6 6. CONCLUSION The final design accomplished all of the goals initially set. The robot performs better than had been anticipated. The design chosen is not only very flexible, but also sturdy. New features can be easily added to the robot. Completion of this project brings a new product to the world of industry to increase speed and efficiency while reducing the loss. In developing this project, new and innovative solution were needed to tackle the design challenges that were encountered. Each problem was dealt with further research and trial and error method in a timely manner. Overall the learning objective of this project provided an opportunity to research beyond the academic requirements. At last we feel like mechanical engineers! Before this project, we hardly had any experience of working together to accomplish a certain task by our own. We were very lucky to be member of the same group and it was a joy to work aside friends. We came to know how to gather necessary resources and assemble them to achieve the goal. This was the first time we could blend our innovation and knowledge too. At the end of the project, we feel proud and happy that we have stepped a foot forward towards our professional life. Once again thanks to all the people, who have helped us in one way or another to make our project successful.

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CHAPTER 7 7. FUTURE SCOPE OF WORK

In the future we expect to improve the obstacle avoidance by including bump sensing all around the circular body of the robot. This capability is needed because the present sensors (IR LED's/receivers) are quite directive and, thus, they cannot detect sharp obstacles as chair legs, for example. The next step will be to include some mechanism to sense the fan motor current to detect if the dust entrance is blocked or the dust bag is full, in both cases the fan motor current will increase. The robot reaction to this input will be another behaviour, on which the fan motor will be stooped and the robot will move for a while, trying to remove a possible blocking material. Then, the fan motor will be turn on again and if the its current keeps the same value as before the robot knows that the dust bag is full or the fan motor is being blocked. In this case the fan motor should be stooped and the robot should look for a maintenance station. If the fan motor current decreases to its normal value, it means that an object was blocking the fan motor and it dropped when the fan motor was stopped. In this situation, the robot should precede its normal activity. We would also like to have the robot sensing the battery charge. If the charge goes below a certain level, the fan motor should be stopped and the robot should look for a charging station. We do not know yet if the detection of the fan motor current and the battery charge level will be done by specialized electronics or if we will just artificially make the robot detect those conditions by some binary inputs (switches).

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