Silicon Synapse Lab: COBRA
Upon receiving the PEAK Award, I had the privilege of collaborating with Dr. Alireza Ramezani at the Silicon Synapse Lab on the innovative COBRA (Crater Observing Bio-inspired Rolling Articulator) project. This robot, created by NU SEDS, clinched the first position in NASA's BIG Idea Challenge, successfully advancing lunar exploration capabilities across diverse terrains in the quest for water resources.
Objective: Enhance COBRA's autonomous navigation capabilities, enabling real-time awareness of its environment and rapid response capabilities.
Contributions: Seamless integration of Intel RealSense D4351i camera in COBRA’s software through ROS, enabling advanced obstacle detection for smoother navigation in dynamic environments
PHASE 1: PROJECT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
As a mechanical engineering major with no experience with robotics, my first step was to research ROS and Raspberry Pi sensors. This included but was not limited to discussing with peer mentors at the lab project objectives and researching through myotube and reliable websites. I developed a Gantt Chart to set timelines for myself and project goals.
Highlights: Studied creation of COBRA and overarching goals for the robot to understand the impact of my research while simultaneously acclimating to the ROS Environment.
Skills: Gantt Chart Development, Research, Time Management, ROS
PHASE 2: CODE DEVELOPMENT
Highlights: The first step for integration was setting up the Robot Operating System on the Ubuntu environment to enable communication between the Raspberry Pi and the robot's sensors and actuators. This includes creating ROS nodes, topics, and services that will facilitate data exchange. Code is currently being finalized to ensure that the Raspberry Pi can communicate effectively with ROS, receiving sensor data and publishing control commands back to the robot's actuators.
(Phase 3 is expected to involve testing and validation.)
Skills Used: C++, ROS, Problem Solving, Linux (Ubuntu 20.04)