RoboticsEmbeddedOct 2024 – Dec 2024
Autonomous Rescue Robot
Computing Lead — DESN1000 Group Project
A group engineering design project at UNSW to build a robot that navigates a maze, crosses rough terrain with raised steps, and retrieves a tennis ball, all within a 250 mm diameter cylinder and 1 kg weight limit. Eight members split across manufacturing, electrical, and computing sub-teams.
- Led the computing sub-team: wrote the full Arduino control system in C++ covering remote piloting, sensor integration, and state machine logic
- Presented the track mobility analysis for the team and evaluated why tracks outperform wheels on rough terrain despite the weight and energy penalty at this scale
- Ran 20+ chassis geometry and drivetrain iterations to eliminate tipping on uneven surfaces
- Robot navigated the full test course, retrieved the object, and cleared all terrain obstacles; top-15% cohort performance
Tech Stack
ArduinoC++Ultrasonic Sensors4WD DrivetrainCustom Chassis
Gallery
Challenges
- Achieving reliable rough-terrain stability within a 250 mm diameter and 1 kg weight budget
- Integrating ultrasonic sensors, camera feed, claw mechanism, and remote control into a single coherent system
- Iterating the chassis geometry and drivetrain layout across 20+ test cycles to eliminate tipping on uneven surfaces
Outcomes
- Robot successfully navigated the test course, retrieved the object, and cleared all terrain obstacles
- Track-based drivetrain selected and validated as superior to wheels for the rough-terrain requirement
- Top-15% cohort performance; recognised for innovative mechanism design