SPARTAN Superway Semester 2 Week 15

This week, we constructed the second full controls system for pod #2. We were able to test this system and prove that it worked just as good as the first one. In addition, we did more track testing with the track team and worked on some binding issues that the bogie had going around turns.

In the next week, we are preparing our third and final bogie as well as getting ready for Maker Faire and completing our senior project report. Today was our last class meeting and we are presenting to the general public this Friday.

SPARTAN Superway Semester 2 Week 14

This week we were able to test the full track, bogie, and controls system. We ran a bogie around the closed track and were able to read the RFID tags and observe the servo switching. Once we began testing, we soon learned of minor changes that needed to be made. We then made these changes and perfected our controls system

In the coming week, we will be assembling the next two pods and getting our systems ready for Maker Faire. We need to ensure all three pods work and pack it up along with everything we will need for field repairs.

SPARTAN Superway Semester 2 Week 13

This week, we put our controls system to the test using the actual bogie and a turn section of the track. The controls system performed well and we were able to prove that our concept worked. We showed that it would switch and make its way around whatever section of the switch we wanted it to go. We also found out that the bogie has plenty of power and it moves very fast. Because of this, we are able to slow down the speed of the bogie and use the maximum speed for testing and troubleshooting purposes only.

Now that we know the controls system works, we are going to spend the upcoming week creating PCBs that plug directly into our Arduino. We have already ordered and received the PCBs, so our next action will be to solder the header pins in place. My specific task will be to solder the new wires that we will need to reach from the servo and motor to our bogie.

SPARTAN Superway Semester 2 Week 12

This week, we gave our second presentation about our project. We focused mainly on the progress we have made since the last presentation as well as stressing how much testing we need to do in the coming weeks. In specific, my part was to detail our timeline as well as discuss what we need to see from the other teams and what we will do if it doesn't happen.

As for progress, I have implemented collision detection into our Arduino program this week. However, from here on out, there is no more room for progress toward the design of our controls system. Now, we much focus our entire attention on making sure our system is fully tested. For the next week, we will be assembling a bogie and track section and testing a section of our code.

SPARTAN Superway Semester 2 Week 11

This week, we are preparing for our second presentation of the semester. In addition to filling out our slides and practicing our presentation, I am gathering information that we will be using in both our final presentation and our final report.

For the rest of the semester, we will be focusing on testing our system and writing the final report. We have given ourselves more than enough time to finish the final report. However, we do not yet have a track or bogie to test with, so we will need to come up with an alternative means of testing our system. We will be doing this in the coming week.

SPARTAN Superway Semester 2 Week 10

This week, school was not in session and we had spring break. I did not contribute much to the project this week, however, we did collaborate with other teams and plan out what we would do for the rest of the semester. We believe that we should begin testing in the middle of April. With this timeline, we should have plenty of time to test everything before Maker Faire.

SPARTAN Superway Semester 2 Week 9

This week, we planned out how we would set up our notification LED. We decided to get an RGB so that we could use the different colors to indicate different states of the controls algorithm. In addition, we talked about what we should be doing over break and decided if there was anything we needed to meet for.

In the coming week, we decided not to meet since it will be spring break. This is mostly due to the fact that neither the bogie or track is ready for testing and testing is the majority of what we have left to do. Instead, we will brainstorm and collaborate with the other teams to make sure everything will go smoothly from here on out.

SPARTAN Superway Semester 2 Week 8

This week, I focused on rewriting my individual assignment #1. To do this, I looked through many peer reviewed journals to find better sources. As for the project, we decided that we needed to implement a notification LED as well as collision detection to our controls system.

Since last week, I have begun looking into the supersonic sensor that was used in the legacy design to determine if it would work for our system. It seems that it should work because the radius of our turns is much bigger than the legacy design. This would eliminate the previous team's problem of the sensor not working around turns due to the angle between the pods.

SPARTAN Superway Semester 2 Week 7

This week, we successfully added multi-pod capability to our system. We can display this feature on our prototype system, and soon we will be able to display it on a completed track section. In addition, we completed our first individual writing assignment and got our grades back.

In the upcoming week, I will be focused on rewriting my individual writing assignment and determining what features still need to be added by the end of the semester. Because we have a fully operational system but no way to test it, we have had to use other methods to test the system. These include our cardboard prototype and use of the serial monitor on the Arduino IDE.

SPARTAN Superway Semester 2 Week 6

This week, we watched the rest of the team presentations and got a better idea for how the end of the semester would be. We now have a fairly good idea of  when we will be able to begin testing. As of now, we are waiting for the track turning and switching sections to be completed. Once these are complete, we will be able to make sure our our controls system can handle all of the track features that Superway has to offer.

In the upcoming week, we will continue to work on multi-pod capability for the Arduino and Python code. We should be finished with this by next week and be able to demonstrate the new feature.

SPARTAN Superway Semester 2 Week 5

This week, we prepped for and gave the first major presentation for our project. I explained how much progress we have made so far and how far we have yet to go. We laid out a plan to finish our project, and as of now, we are completely on schedule. We also debuted a short demonstration of our pod car positioning system and how it works.

In the coming week, we will be focused on making interaction between our GUI and the rest of our controls system as seamless as possible. We will also be adding multi-pod functionality to our GUI.

SPARTAN Superway Semester 2 Week 4

This week, we will prepare to give our first presentation of the semester. We have already chosen different speaking parts and I have been assigned the current design progress and how we will meet our goals. In addition, I will continue to research Python Tkinter package to see how I can change the GUI and make it fit our needs.

Moving forward, my main goal is to create all of the features that a real-world transportation app would have. I will do this by studying other successful applications and then brainstorming different ways that I can modify my GUI to make it more user friendly.

SPARTAN Superway Semester 2 Week 3

This week, we are getting ready for our lightning talk as well as discussing with other small-scale teams to see where everyone is at. When we give our lightning talk, we will be going over what progress we have made this semester so far and hopefully we will get more informed as to the general state of the Superway project.

My task in particular this week is to add additional features to the small GUI that I made with Python this week. I plan on adding a feature to select a podcar or randomly choose the nearest pod. Then I will look up different packages to make the GUI look more professional.

SPARTAN Superway Semester 2 Week 2

This week, we presented our lightning talk as well as watched the other group's talks. This gave us much needed insight as to the overall progress and future of our projects. We then solidified our budget and we are now able to begin ordering parts. However, we will most likely wait a couple of weeks so that we are sure exactly what we need to order.

I have also started using Codecademy to learn how to use Python programming language. This could prove a viable alternative for processing language. In the coming weeks, I will continue to learn Python and create my own UI with it.

SPARTAN Superway Semester 2 Week 1

This week, we met with the rest of the senior project classes to check in and look at the schedule for the semester. After this, we went to the Superway room to further discuss each group's individual goals. Then we were told that our first lightning talk would be the following week.

This week, we will be getting ready for the first lightning talk and continuing research for our controls system. My individual project will be researching processing language and trying to learn how to use it.