This past month IGVC has been working to finish calibration for all sensors!
All of the parts needed to connect to the Lidar sensor have been ordered! The sensor should be outputting reliable data by the end of this week! At first, we wanted to ensure connecting to the lidar should be done correctly. This involved consulting the datasheet, ensuring all wires were purchased, and consulting others to ensure the connections were made correctly. Interestingly enough, the safety information in the datasheet prompted users to include a 5A slow blow fuse. This was also purchased to avoid any high voltage spikes from damaging the sensor.
The camera subteam has been working on writing navigation algorithms and choosing a camera to use. Several options the team were looking at were the D435 Depth Camera from Intel which provided processing built-in to the camera. However, we already owned a Playstation camera, which would require us to do processing on our own, instead of autonomously. The decision is between these two cameras to see which would provide better performance. We are in the current process of deciding.
The electrical subteam has been working hard to ensure the circuit diagram is up to standards and there are no incorrect connections being made. Once this is finished(by the end of this week), wiring will begin immediately, to ensure the robot is on track to be finished. The IMU subteam has been working hard to calibrate the sensor. We just purchased a RS-232 cable to connect it to the computer!
The robot is currently on track to be finished by the competition!