This course involves practicums on data acquisition and control using microprocessors for the first 5 weeks; and then students spend the next 5 weeks in teams of ~2 developing and building a project of their choice.
The theme might be described as "just go for it", with the only requirement being that the project detect something in the real world, process the information, and control something in the real world. About half the projects use embedded PIC microprocessors; some use PC-scale computers, some are not computer-based.
The "Earl Dolnick Best Project Awards are chosen by student votes.
C. Fred Driscoll (Prof), Tom Murphy, (Prof), Allen White (Physics Electronics Shop) Mike Simmonds (TA), Veronica Burnett (TA)
0. General Images
1. Sounding Out Colors, Max Burtner & Josh Malkinson
Light is separated into 3 color bands with a diffraction grating, and each band generates a tone
from a SoundGin music/voice chip.
2. The Photo Gyrosphere, Elbert Lum & Glenn Laursen
Music separated into frequency bands is fed to 4 PIC microprocessors, which drive 128 tri-color
LEDs and the sphere rotation speed.
3. VAMFIRES: Variable Amplitude Multiple Frequency Infra Red Electronic Synthesizer, Christoph Lee & Vikrant Grewal
Infra-red ranging sensors detect 3 operator hands, a PIC controls aural and optical frequencies and amplitudes.
4. A.C.D.C. (Anti-Crash Drunk Car), Gurleen Bal & Riccardo Monfardini
An autonomous car with ultrasonic sensor detects obstacles, reverses, and "diffuses" in direction.
5. The Wave Fourier-Nator, Alan Chang & Chris Luk
Audio input to a PIC microprocessor drives "mirror-motors" which laser-paint the wall.
6. Paintball Timing & Display, Justin Maciejko
A PIC microprocessor measures paintball time-of-flight, and displays velocity in FPS on an LCD.
7. Balls O' Flyer, Petia Yanchulova & Avery Green
Interactive Battleship game, where players' keypad entry aims a cannon, with detection and
coordinate display of the resulting hit.
8. GPS Rover, Ariel Stein & Stephen Efthyvoulos
An autonomous vehicle receives GPS signals and navigates along path coordinates delivered by RF transmission
from a control station.
9. The Magnetar, a Zero-Touch Guitar, Alex Ellington, Han Lin & Alex Spacek
RF signals from Michael Jackson's Other Glove replace fingered frets, and switches provide
note PIC'n and octave selection.
11. Sonar Distancing Remotely, Chris Comfort & Dave Ortiz-Suslow
Ultra-sonic distance measurement is RF-transmitted and displayed remotely,
for use in calibrating radioisotope dosage meters.
12. The Spots Chaser, Corey Bakhtiary & Sandra DeSousa
A PIC-targeted laser Spot is chased across the board by fingers detected with infra-red shadowing.
13. ** AWARD** The Challenger II : Adventures in Magnetic Levitation, Daniel Klein & Andrew McLeod
A magnet position is sensed and dynamically levitated, using PIC-based Proportional-Integral-Differential feedback control.
14. **AWARD** Lexus Auto Park, Joshua Dill & Trey Elson
Side and rear infra-red range detectors allow a PIC to detect a parking slot, and back into
the slot, with Lexus-like consistency.
15. Perimeter Security Monitor, Luis Gonzalez
Keypad activation and password-protected reset, monitoring of magnetic switches and IR motion detectors,
local audio and visual alarms, and DTMF phone dialing for remote status delivery.
16. Internet Robo Arm, Christian Brown
Remote real-time control of a robotic arm is enabled by internet-delivered video imaging and control
signals.
17. Helicopter Care Package, Aaron Friedman & Edward Ruzek
Video imaging from a WiFi-controlled helicopter enables navigation towards target, and proximity
detection of IR strobes trigger the Package drop.
