2011

Collision Avoidance System Midterm Report

Team Droid
12/22/2011

Rishi Rambaran

Jaskamal Randhawa

Pedro Vazquez

Katherine Javier Aguilar

EENG 489 Professor Dong

Table of Contents

1. 2.

Abstract............................................ ...................................Page 5 Introduction.Page 6 2.1. Reasons for Car Accidents.Page 6 2.2. Problems of Collision Avoidance Systems Already on the MarketPage 6 Sustainability and Potential Market..Page 7 3.1. InstallationPage 7 3.2. Collision Avoidance System and the Anti-Lock Braking System....Page 7 3.3. Advantages of a Collision Avoidance System..Page 7 System Design....Pages 8-10 4.1- General System.Page 8 4.2- Subsystems.Page 9 A. Collision Detection SystemPage 9 B. Filtering System.Page 9 C. Distance/ Range Calculation System and Microcontroller/ System Processes. Page 9 D. Collision Warning System.Page 10 E. Automated Response System..Page 10 Simulation..Page 11 MaterialsPages 12-13 6.1- Microcontroller.Page 12 6.2- Ultrasonic Sensor.Page 12 6.3 Warning System.......Page 13 6.4- RC Car ..........Page 13 Collision Avoidance System Design.Page 14-15

3.

4.

5. 6.

7.

8.

Progress..Page 16

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9.

Layout of ProjectPage 17

10. Controlling the DC Motors..Page 18-20 11. Timeline..Page 21 12. Project Management..Page 22-23 12.1- Task for Each Member..Page 22 12.2- Budget..Page 23 References...Page 24

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Table of Figures
Figure 1. System Block DiagramPage 8 Figure 2. Collision Detection System..Page 9 Figure 3. Arduino Uno.Page 12 Figure 4. Parallax Ultrasonic Sensor.Page 12 Figure 5. LED Lights .Page 13 Figure 6. RC Car..Page 13 Figure 7. Flow Chart of How Materials Will WorkPage 14 Figure 8. Sketch of DesignPage 15 Figure 9. Layout of Project.Page 17 Figure 10. Front DC Motor..Page 18 Figure 11. Rear DC Motor Page 18 Figure 12. Sketch of How DC Motors are Controlled.Page 19 Figure 13. Sketch of Parts Connected. Page 20

Table 1. Timeline of ProjectPage 21 Table 2. Cost of Project...Page 23

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1. Abstract
According to the United States Census Bureau, in the year 2009 there were 10.8 million motor vehicle accidents in the United States [5]. It was reported that 35,900 fatalities occurred due to car related accidents. While some of these accidents are not fatal or critical, people who are involved are left with hefty financial expenses and a definite increase in their insurance policy. What if all of these car accidents could be prevented or at least reduced to stop car related deaths and expenses? Team Droid proposes an intelligent collision avoidance system that will be able to remove the factor of human error when it comes to stopping a car in emergency situations. This collision avoidance system will be a combination of software and hardware that works in unison to prevent collisions. First the ultrasonic sensor will detect if there are any objects in the way of the vehicle. The ultrasonic sensor will send the data from the feedback echo to the microcontroller. After the data is sent, the microcontroller will calculate the distance of the vehicle to the object or continue to receive data from the ultrasonic sensor if there is no object in front of the vehicle. If an object is considered to be at an unsafe distance, a LED light will blink as a visual warning that danger is ahead. Finally, if no action has been taken, the microcontroller will stop the car, to prevent the vehicle from crashing into the object. The collision avoidance system that will be integrated into actual vehicles will work alongside other safety systems such as the ABS system. Integration with the ABS system is important because both the ABS system and the collision avoidance system will have direct control of the brakes so there can be no interference between them, they need to work in accord.

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2. Introduction
2.1- Reasons for Car Accidents
Today, drivers are more susceptible to accidents than ever. An increase in technology and advances in communication has left drivers (particularly younger drivers) with an unyielding need to use electronic devices while driving, distracting them from focusing on the road. On October 10th 2011, Blackberry services were disrupted for three days. A news article stated that during the duration of those three days, accident rates dropped by an astonishing 40%, with the largest [accident] decrease among young drivers and men [9]. This shows that distractions are a major cause of car related accidents. Electronic devices are not the only things that can lead to accidents on the road. Some other examples include being weary from lengthy road trips, talking with other passengers, trying to retrieve dropped items, eating while driving, applying makeup, etc. However, with the implementation of a collision avoidance system team Droid hopes to save drivers their lives as well as their money.

2.2- Problems of Collision Avoidance Systems Already on the Market

The problem today is that collision avoidance systems are mostly used in luxurious cars and are an expensive installation. According to the Wall Street Journal, of the top 20 cars sold to date in 2011 in the United State[1], none were equipped with any sort of collision avoidance system. We can conclude from this information that a majority of the cars that are on the road today do not have a collision avoidance system installed. Making a less expensive and efficient system that can be implemented into most vehicles would allow driving to become safer, which is the goal of a collision avoidance system.

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3. Sustainability and Potential Market

3.1- Installation
While this collision avoidance system will be tested on a remote control car, implementation of this system on an actual motor vehicle needs to be considered. The collision avoidance system must be installed by the manufacturer during the production of the car, to ensure proper integration into the cars electrical and mechanical system. The systems firmware can be continually updated because this collision avoidance system will be integrated into the vehicles computer system. This computer system will allow the collision avoidance system to be easily updated when needed. This system will not require any special disposal method. Similarly to the physical parts of a car, the parts to this collision avoidance system can be easily recycled for reuse.

3.2- Collision Avoidance System and the Anti-Lock Braking System

This system will work in unison with the Anti-Lock Braking System that is now standard on most cars. The ABS system is designed to stop a car from skidding. It works by monitoring and controlling all four wheels of a car individually and stopping them from locking up, which is when they decelerate at a faster rate than the vehicle. This is what causes a car to start slipping. The ABS system methodically pumps the brakes so that the wheels and the ve hicle decelerate at a uniform speed. This guarantees that the car will not skid or slip. The collision avoidance system will work with the ABS system of a vehicle, without overriding it.

3.3- Advantages of a Collision Avoidance System

If this collision avoidance system is implemented in all current cars on the market, the main advantage would be that lives will be saved. Another advantage would be that Insurance companies will look at whether or not the vehicle has this system to determine the insurance rate. The probability of someone with the collision avoidance system getting into an accident would be much less; therefore the insurance company is at a much lower risk of losing money to car repairs and lawsuits, which in turn lowers premiums. Ultimately, the insurance savings will offset the small startup cost that the system will cost owners to integrate into their vehicles. This potentially creates a high demand for this product because it is beneficial for both the insurance companies and car owners.

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4. System Design
4.1- General System
The proposed collision avoidance system will consist of a collision detection system (using an ultrasonic sensor), a filtering system, a distance/range calculation system, a microcontroller/ system process, a warning system, and an automated response control system. A block diagram showing how all the sub systems will work is shown in Figure 1. The ultrasonic sensor will produce an ultrasonic signal that bounces off near objects and then returns an echo back to the sensor. This allows the sensor to determine the distance between the car and an object. The sensors ability to determine the distance between the car and another object will enable us to use that feedback signal as a guide/override function on how the car reacts. First the car will warn the driver of imminent danger. The car will then react accordingly by sensing its surroundings and taking an educated course of action.

Collision Detection System

Filtering System

Distance/ Range Calculation System

Microcontroller /System Process

Collision Warning System

Automated Response System

RC Car

Figure 1. System Block Diagram

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4.2- Subsystems
A. Collision Detection System
In the collision detection system, we will use a Parallax Ping ultrasonic sensor to detect any obstructions that may be in the path of the vehicle. The sensor will emit an ultrasonic wave similar to that of a radar and then the sensor will receive echoes back from obstructions in the path of the ultrasonic waves. A visual representation of this action is shown in Figure 2. The Parallax ultrasonic sensor will send impulses or bursts of signals out at a predefined rate and then wait for a defined period of time for possible echoes. If no echoes are received then another pulse is sent out. If an echo is received, the sensor will then pass the information on to the filtering subsystem to purify the signal, which will then be sent to the microcontroller for analysis and calculations.

Ultrasonic Sensor

Obstruction

Figure 2. Collision Detection System

B. Filtering System
We will be using a band pass filtering circuit with a feedback system to cancel noise. This will guarantee that the signal that is being processed is the echo from the ultrasonic wave and not any other signal.

C. Distance/ Range Calculation System and Microcontroller/System Processes

We will be implementing an algorithm that will react to objects depending on their distance. This distance will be defined and justified through further research, studies, and testing. The ultrasonic sensor will detect the object and pass on the distance data to the Arduino Uno. If the distance from the vehicle to the obstruction is calculated as safe or if it does not detect any obstruction, the system will continue to try to detect any obstructions and calculate the distance of the vehicle to anything in front of it. If the distance is ever calculated as unsafe the system will warn the driver and wait for the distance to increase before going into automated response mode.

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D. Collision Warning System

Once the sensors detect an imminent danger, the microcontroller will process this information and send begin to send a warning signal to the driver via an LED light and/or through a speaker system if time permits.

E. Automated Response System

After the collision detection system and warning system have undergone their independent procedures and if an imminent threat still exists, the automated response system will then react accordingly to stop the vehicle. While this system is running the distance to the object is continuously being monitored so if the distance between the object and vehicle increases, the automated response system will cease taking action. The primary goal is to stop the vehicle in time to prevent an impending collision by just applying the brakes. However, if time permits, we plan to implement additional ultrasonic sensors that will scan the vehicles sides and make the vehicle turn into another lane if the distance to the impending collision is too small for the vehicle to stop in time to avoid a collision.

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5. Simulation
For the collision avoidance system to succeed, a crucial factor is the feedback response time. The system feedback response time is the time it takes between the sensors sensing an imminent threat, sending that information to the microcontroller for processing, and finally taking a proper course of action. The biggest culprit to feedback response time is software. In order to minimize the feedback response time, we must first simulate the control system using computer aided software. In this particular case, MatLab Simulink has been chosen as the simulation design software. We have gathered information on the microprocessor, such as the processor speed, sensors feedback time, etc. so that the systems parameters can be properly defined in the simulation. In Matlab, we will simulate an ultrasonic signal with a frequency of 40 kHz and a sensor that waits 750 s for an echo. We will then simulate our sensor receiving an echo signal and the time it takes for our microprocessor to process the information and execute an action. To simulate our microprocessor we will need test how long it will take the processor to respond. The parameters that we will be using are based on the physical capabilities of the equipment. Physical testing is required for a minimal feedback response.

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6. Materials
6.1- Microcontroller
We will be reengineering an RC car with a programmable microcontroller. The Arduino Uno is a microcontroller that we will use. It has 14 digital input/output pins, 6 analog inputs, a USB connection, a power jack, and a reset button. We can simply connect this microcontroller in to a computer and program it to our desired function. We plan on using the microcontroller to override the controls of the normal remote controller when dangers are detected.

Figure 3. Arduino Uno [3]

6.2- Ultrasonic Sensor

The ultrasonic sensor that we will be using is from Parallax. This Parallax ultrasonic sensor is very low cost and is perfect for attaining measurement information between moving objects. It has a range of 2 cm to 300 cm. This will be connected to the microcontroller and it will monitor the surroundings of our car.

Figure 4. Parallax Ultrasonic Sensor [7]

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6.3- Warning System

Finally, we plan on using a flashing light or an audible warning signal to warn the driver of eminent dangers. The overall function of our collision avoidance system is depicted with the block diagram shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5. LED Lights [8]

6.4 RC Car
We will be implementing the collision avoidance system on a 1:16 model of a Cadillac Escalade. This car was chosen due to its large size, which is necessary to accommodate the micro controller and the Parallax Ultrasonic Sensor, plus any additional items that may be needed for this system to function.

Figure 6. RC Car

The RC car we will be testing on will be similar to using an actual car. We plan to simulate a real life driving scenario by having someone driving the car with the RC cars remote.

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7. Collision Avoidance System Design

Our System will consist of the Parallax Ultrasonic Sensor and Arduino microcontroller being placed directly onto the RC car. An individual will be controlling the RC car with the cars original remote and will drive the car around. The Sensor will be actively scanning ahead of the vehicle for obstructions. When it senses an obstruction ahead of it, it will send this data to the microcontroller which will than process it and come up with the decision on whether or not there is an imminent collision. This data transfer between the sensor and the Arduino microcontroller will be a continuous system, which is the best way to ensure that the feedback response time is kept to a minimum. If an imminent collision is detected, the Arduino microcontroller will then override the RC cars original microcontroller and will interrupt the signal it is sending to the motors. This will cause the RC car to stop before it hits the obstruction.
RC Car Starts

Ultrasonic Sensor

Arduino Uno Microprocessor

LED Warning

RC Car Stops

Figure 7. Flow Chart of How Materials Will Work

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LED Light(Blinking)

Ultrasonic Sensor

Microprocessor

RC Car

Obstruction

LED Light

Ultrasonic Sensor

Microprocessor

RC Car Obstruction

Figure 8. Sketch of Design

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8. Progress
This endeavor required an extraneous amount of dedication and commitment on the teams part. Before we decided to obtain the parts required, we conducted a massive amount of research about what parts would be best suited for this project, which we. We needed to examine how we could implement this into real life cars, which was mentioned in section 3. When we concluded researching we knew the appropriate parts to obtain. These parts were mentioned in section 6. Testing on the material had to be done as they arrived to avoid any manufacturer defect and to make sure each part was compatible with the others. The simulation of this system was started after the materials arrived. There have been many unexpected problems throughout the simulation process. After getting some advice on how to do the simulation we commenced working on it from a new angle. This yielded some new results, but none that are currently presentable but that will be provided within the upcoming weeks. The last accomplished during this semester was checking the manufacturers chip to find out the function of each pin. Our main goal in this was to find out which were the pins that controlled the motors of the RC car. This is vital information because these are the pins that we will be interacting with to override the RC cars embedded microcontroller. A deeper explanation of this will be provided in section 10.

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9. Layout of Project
As mentioned before, being able to control the DC Motors, which are what make the RC car move forward, reverse, left and right, is one of the most important parts in the Collision Avoidance System. The remote control that came with the RC car sends a signal of 27.145MHz. This signal goes through the manufacturers filtering system so that the manufacturers microprocessor can receive the signal and control the motors in the RC car. In order to make the Collision Avoidance System work, the plan is to have the manufacturers filtering system send the signal to the Arduino Uno, which will allow this microprocessor to control the motors of the RC Car. The ultrasonic sensor detecting an obstruction in front of the RC car at a distance predefined in the Arduino Uno as the danger zone, will cause the Arduino Uno will control the motors, instead of the manufacturers microprocessor, in order to prevent any collision. A layout of how the design is shown below in Figure 9.

Figure 9. Layout of Project

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10. Controlling the DC Motors

The RC car has two DC motors, one located in the front and one located in the back. These motors control the direction the RC car will go in. Having the knowledge of how each motor actually controls the car is the first step needed to allow the Arduino Uno to control the motors. The front DC motor, which can be seen in Figure 10, controls the wheels of the RC car and allows the car to be able to turn left or right. The rear DC motor, which can be seen in Figure 11, controls whether the RC car will move forward or in reverse.

Figure 10. Front DC Motor

Figure 11. Rear DC Motor

The next step in being able to control the DC motors of the RC car is to know where the DC motors are controlled from on the manufacturers microprocessor, due to the fact that the manufacturers filtering system will be used. An oscilloscope was used to find which pins on the manufacturers board controls the motors. A chip with 16 pins was found on the board and

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after testing each pin out we came to the conclusion that pins 6, 7, 14 and 15 were the ones we would need to accomplish the Collision Avoidance System. Figure 12 below shows a sketch of the chip and the pins.

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

On/off switch for front motor spinning wheel clockwise

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Trigger forward on/off switch

On/off switch for front motor spinning wheel counter clockwise

Trigger reverse on/off switch

Figure 12. Sketch of How DC Motors are Controlled

The pins that were found that control the motors of the RC car will be connected to the Arduino Uno. As mentioned before, the Ultrasonic Sensor will also be connected to the Arduino Uno. All of these things will be placed on the RC car. Since the chip will be still on the manufacturers board, due to the fact that the manufacturers filtering system will be used, the manufacturers board will still be on the RC car. A sketch of how this will look can be seen in Figure 13.

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Manufacturer Filter

14

15

Arduino Uno

RC Car

Figure 13. Sketch of Parts Connected

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11. Timeline

Table 1. Timeline of Project

*Note-Implement Audio Warning and Additional Ultrasonic Sensor will become the new goal if the Collision Avoidance System is completed early.

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12. Project Management

12.1 Task for Each Member
Note: Each group member has an equal share in work and everyone is responsible for the research, hardware design, and software design. No individual will work on any specific part more than another. The following positions are for group cohesiveness. Team Leader: This individual is responsible for overseeing all positions and working closely with each team member for all tasks. This position requires helping with budgeting, project planning, and presentation. Furthermore, they must coordinate with the project planner and getting relevant information pertaining to our progress. Furthermore they are also responsible for pushing the team forward and making sure our project is making progress and on time. Any materials that need to be submitted is written and submitted by this individual. This person also makes sure that everyone is on top of time logs and this individual picks up tasks which others cannot finish or need help in. This person is also responsible for creating and maintaining the team website. Presentation, Budgeting and Materials: For this position, the individual is in charge of preparing weekly presentation material and informing each group member what they are presenting on. This individual must also make sure that the project is presentable. This individual is also in charge of coordinating with each team member and coming up with an overall budget for this project. Furthermore, they will be responsible to keep track of what team members spend on materials and finding alternatives materials or solutions to budgeting issues. Project Planner: The role of the project planner is to plan out what the goals and tasks are for every week. They are also responsible for setting up meeting and lab hours when everyone can meet. Making sure that all materials which are needed are known by all group members and tells group members what they need to bring in. This individual is the primary researcher; however each group member is still responsible for researching information on our project. Rishi Rambaran: Team Leader Jaskamal Randhawa: Project Planner Pedro Vazquez: Presentation, Budgeting and Materials Katherine Javier: Presentation, Budgeting and Materials

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12.2- Budget
The Table below shows the estimated cost for this project: Material RC Car Ultrasonic Sensor Arduino Starter Kit Additional Cost(Ex- batteries) Total Cost: Cost Per Person:
Table 2. Cost of Project

Cost $35.50 $37.90 $77.62 $20.00 $170.72 $42.68

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References
[ 1 ] Wall Street Journal, . "Auto sales - markets data center."Wall street journal. Wall Street Journal, 2011. Web. 12 Dec 2011. <http://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/page/2_3022-autosales.html>. [2]"Ping Ultrasonic Distance Sensor." Parallax. Parallax, n.d. Web. 19 Oct 2011. <http://www.parallax.com/Store/Sensors/ObjectDetecti on/tabid/176/Categ oryID/51/List/0/SortField/0/Level/a/ProductID/92/Default.asp&xgt;. [3]"Arduino Uno." Arduino. Adruino, n.d. Web. 19 Oct 2011. <http://arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardUno>. [4]"Automobile Safety." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, n.d. Web. 19 Oct 2011 . <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_safety>. [5]"Motor Vehicle Accidents." U.S. Census Bureau. U.S. Census Bureau , 2011. Web. 19 Oct 2011. <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s1103.pdf>. [6 ]"A rdui no U no (A t m e g a 32 8 - as se m bl ed) - U no w /A t me g a 32 8 . " P ho to g ra ph. F i rs t L a s t . a da frui t i ndus t ri e s , We b. 1 9 Oc t 20 1 1 . < ht t p: / / w w w . a da frui t . c o m / pro duc t s / 50 > . [7 ]"P I N G ) ) ) U l t ra s o nic D i s t a nce S e ns o r. " P ho t o g ra ph. F i rs t La s t . P a ra l l a x I nc , We b. 1 9 O c t 2 01 1 . < ht t p: / / w w w . pa ra l l a x . c om / S t o re / S e nso rs/ O bj e c t D e t ec t i o n/ t abi d/ 1 7 6 / C a t e g o ryI D / 5 1 / L i s t / 0 / So rt F i e ld/ 0 / Le ve l / a / P ro duc t I D / 9 2 / D e fa ul t . a s p&xg t ; . [8 ]" B a c k ya r d D e s i g n s Li g h t i n g . " P ho t o g r a p h. F i rs t L a s t . We b . 1 9 O c t 2 0 1 1 . < ht t p: / / w w w . ba c k ya r dde s i g ns l i g h t i ng . c o m / l e d - l i g ht s / > . [9]"UAE Accidents Down During BlackBerry Outage ." Sky news. Sky News, 18 Oct 2011. Web. 19 Oct 2011. <http://news.sky.com/home/technology/article/16091275>. [10] Nice, Karim. "How Anti -Lock Brakes Work." How Stuff Works . How Stuff Works, n.d. Web. 20 Nov 2011. < http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto parts/brakes/brake-types/anti-lock-brake1.htm>.

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