Computer On Wheels Controller
This is an application which is supposed to be simple to implement and use with robots connected in some way to a computer.
Functions:
- Manual Control:
- By the keyboard;
- With a wiimote;
- With another computer;
- With a cellphone;
- Etc.
- Autonomous control:
- Color tracking;
- Walls avoidance;
- Line Following.
Communications Protocol:
- ‘w’ to order the robot to move forward;
- ‘s’ to order the robot to move backward;
- ‘a’ to order the robot to spin to the left;
- ‘d’ to order the robot to spin to the right;
- ‘g’ to order the robot to stop;
The GUI basically has five different tabs:
Settings:
This is where you choose the webcam and the port where the robot is connected.
To do that you only need to click on the device, and press the key ‘ENTER’ when you’re ready.
Manual Control:
As the name suggests, in the “Manual Control” tab it is possible to control manually the robot with the keyboard.
Using other third-party software, such as TeamViewer for remote desktop, this “Manual Control” function allows to control the robot using another computer or cellphone, and, with software like GlovePIE it is possible to simulate the keyboard other controllers like the wiimote, and control the robot with it.
Color Track:
In the ”Color Track” tab, a color can be chosen by clicking on it on the first image, top left, and then the application will make the robot follow the biggest object it sees with that color.
It uses the center of the detected color blob together with the lines which can be seen in the bottom left image to define when the robot goes forward, backward, left or right. These lines may be moved by clicking on each of them and then clicking where it is supposed to go. It is possible to ajust the threshold using ‘+’ and ‘-’ keys.
Wall Avoinding:
Walls avoidance function analyzes what the robot is seeing and tries to separate what is floor and what is wall.
Then it measures the wall area, and if it is superior than a certain value it means that there isn’t much more floor in front of it so it goes right instead of continuing going forward. It is possible to ajust the threshold using ‘+’ and ‘-’ keys.
Line Follow:
This is a mix of the two previous two functions. It starts by differencing the image by brightness like the “Wall Avoid”, but instead of measuring the area of the blob is analyzes the position of the line and tries to keep it always centered like the color tracking function.
You can use only one part of the screen by moving the squares on the top left image. You can also move the lines on the bottom left image. It is possible to ajust the threshold using ‘+’ and ‘-’ keys. The changes can be saved by pressing the ‘s’ button.
