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jpg of AFFR

Autonomous Fire Fighting Robot

Users Manual
Isaac N. Dupre
Chad W. Ives

Table of Contents:

Section I
Background ……………………………………………… 3

Introduction ……………………………………………… 3

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 Features ……………………………………………… 3

Specifications ……………………………………………… 4

Mechanical ……………………………………………… 4

Electrical ……………………………………………… 4

Software ……………………………………………… 5

Section II
Installation ……………………………………………… 6

Operation ……………………………………………… 7

Section III
Theory of Operation ………………………………………........... 9

Navigation
System ……………………………………………… 9

Detection/Suppression
System ……………………………………………… 10

Section I

Background

The Autonomous Fire Fighting Robot (AFFR) project was originally designed for
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the 13 annual Trinity College Fire Fighting Competition held in April. There were
numerous specifications and rules that governed the size, mobility and software/hardware
characteristics that are implemented on the vehicle (see Specifications and Rules section

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for a complete listing). In a nut shell the objective of this contest is to build an
autonomous computer-controlled robot that could: Navigate through an arena that
represents a model house (see arena in Specifications section) and ultimately Find a lit
candle that represents a fire in the house and extinguish it with a suppressant.

Introduction

Fire kills more Americans than all other natural disasters combined. Every year
more than 5,000 people die in fires, over 25,000 are injured, and direct property loss is
estimated at over $9 billion. Fortunately, most fire losses can be prevented through
effective public education, awareness initiatives and fire suppression systems like
AFFFR. Many Americans believe "fires can only happen to other people not to me and
not in my home." Yet, over 80 percent of fire deaths occur in the home, most often
claiming the lives of the young, the elderly and the disadvantaged. The decision you have
made in purchasing the AFFR will give you peace of mind while you sleep and the
protection that you and your loved ones deserve. Again we applaud you for taking the
initiative in protecting your family and project that the AFFR will surpass every
expectation or pre-conceived notion that you may have regarding Autonomous Fire
Fighting and suppression systems.

Features

A 12inch diameter vehicle housing to prevent getting stuck in corners

Completely Autonomous- Turns on when fire detector alarm sounds (3-5 kHz)
and uses a number of different sensors to navigate and detect the fire.
Fire suppression is accomplished via water and features a clear reservoir for
recognition of water level.
Returns to home position when fire is suppressed
Is un-tethered (no power or PC cords attached to vehicle)
Uses 12V dry cell battery
Includes standard battery charger
Interchangeable standard part sizes

Specifications

Mechanical

Tracked vehicle which uses skid steer for navigation

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 Dual motors
Dual motor gearbox
12” diameter vehicle housing
Rotational Sweeping targeting system with 12V stepped down to 3.5V Cam motor
and linkage
12Vpump with

Advantages to Tracks:
Allows for tight turning radius
Allows for mobility over stairs and various forms of clutter
Vehicle does not get belly-hung readily
Advantage to circular design:
Vehicle will not get stuck on foreign objects or corners of room
Advantage to Rotational targeting system:
Suppression system will be targeted with UVtron sensor
position. Water is a real world solution that does not rely on
air to blow the flame out and aids a bonus of 5% in time trial
competition.

Electrical

Standard 12V (DC) Dry Cell Battery- Automotive

Dual motor controller board that interfaces to PWM output from internal CPU
Single motor controller board that interfaces to internal CPU
Auto start circuitry (fire alarm detection)
Fire detection and spectral analyzer of flame board
Signal processing and manipulation board
IR Scanner circuitry

Advantage to 12V (DC) battery packs:

Standard, reliable/proven to work and easily rechargeable
Advantage to Dual motor controller with PWM:
Can control both navigational motors with same board and
have variable speed controls using PWM
Advantage Auto start:
Does not need human aid to start Uses standard frequency of
fire detector alarm (4-5 kHz)
Advantage to UVtron Fire Detection Kit:
Proven to work- takes spectral analysis input and outputs a 0-
5V digital signal

Software

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 Navigation:
Mobility (right turn, left turn, stop, forward, reverse)
Ramp speed PWM
Wall Follow
Enter Room:
Line detection
Enter Hallway:
Increment counter if count=0 in hallway
Fire Detection:
Sweep for flame detection
UVtron Fire Detection Sensor input
Lock on target
Suppression system engaged
Return Home
Stay in Hallway till home circle is found

Advantage to Navigation:
Does not rely on single system for guidance. It utilizes multiple
IR scanner sensors that are calibrated in regards to position
and placement on vehicle
Advantage to Enter Room:
Line detection will allow for flame detection system to start-
not continuously sweeping for flame-Power saving

Advantage to fire detection/suppression sweep X-axis:

Only need to find the flame in single axis
When flame is detected by UVtron sensor the system will
release the suppressant and sweep via Cam and linkage in the
Y-axis.
Advantage to Return Home:
Does not need Human interaction to return to start position
Bonus of 15% in time trial competition.

Section II

Installation

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Charge battery packs by:

A). Plugging the charger into a standard 120V 60Hz wall outlet (see
figure 1a)

Figure 1a

B). Inserting the battery packs into the charger (see Figure 1b)

Figure 1b

When the first battery pack is charged replace with the second.
Once both battery packs are charged:

1). Insert Battery pack A into the undercarriage of vehicle platform

(see Figure 2a)

Figure 2a

2).Insert Battery pack C into driver circuit access panel (see Figure
2b)

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 Figure 2b

3).Make sure to have a charged battery pack on standby a standby

pack is included.

CHANGE OUT BOTH BATTERY PACKS EVERY 6 MONTHS AS YOU DO

WITH SMOKE DETECTOR ALARM BATTERY

Once these simple tasks are preformed there is nothing else that needs to be
done for installation and set up.

Operation

Select TEST under mode of operation indicated by the green circle -located on the
undercarriage of vehicle platform (see Figure 3a)

Figure 3a

Set the vehicle on the floor and make sure that it starts the flame detection and
navigation process by

A). the vehicle should start moving and following the walls

B). When it enters a room the fire detection UVtron sensor will be activated
(see figure 3b)

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 Figure 3b

C). should there be a flame detected the system will suppress the flame
engaging the pump and water reservoir. The small slit cut in the Sensors
housing is to limit the area that the sensor can view.

Note: This is only a test of the operation of the system no flame should be
detected and consequently no suppressant emitted.

D). If everything went as directed switch mode to STANDBY – indicated by

the purple circle (see Figure 3c) and leave in desired “home” position. This
should be a place out of the way where the AFFR system will stay alert
awaiting for the smoke detector to sound- activating the system.

Enjoy the security and peace of mind knowing that your house is protected against
fire by the AFFR system.

Section III

Theory of Operation

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Navigation

Navigation is accomplished via IR sensors that are originally analog that are
averaged and converted to digital for the HC12 to operate. The system is activated by the
sound of a smoke detector 3-5 kHz signal. A microphone and frequency analyzer
accomplishes this task (see AFFR project binder for details). The Programming is a
simple state machine with multiple scenarios. The first is wall following: by calibrating
each of the IR sensors based on their physical placement on the vehicle the inputs are fed
into the HC12. Going straight involves both side mounted IR sensors to have the same
value. IR sensors output a voltage based on the distance from the wall. If both are
outputting an equal voltage they are the same distance from the wall. If they have
different voltage outputs than the system compensates by increasing the PWM to the
correct track. The mobility is a tracked vehicle with independent gear trains and motors,
allowing for this type of action.
The next task of the navigation program is to turn. A left turn is accomplished by
the input from the front IR sensor. Once the threshold voltage from the front mounted IR
sensor is breached, indicating a wall in front the vehicle turns left. Feedback from the
two side mounted IR sensors indicate when the vehicle is parallel with the wall again and
forward movement can begin. A right turn is accomplished when the front IR sensor sees
nothing and first side mounted IR sensor sees nothing while the back side mounted IR
still sees the wall. The vehicle then starts the turn right routine until it is again parallel
with the wall. The fire detection program is not called until the vehicle enters a room.
Recognition of room entering is accomplished by floor mounted Fairchild IR sensors
calibrated to pick up the White marking before a room (see manufacturer Specification in
AFFR Project Binder). This activates the Suppression/Detection system. Depending on
the message sent from the Suppression/Detection System the system will either continue
searching for a flame or find the home circle. Searching for the flame is accomplished in
the same manner as indicated above until a FireFound signal is sent from the HC08
(Suppression/Detection MCU) to the HC12 (Navigation MCU).
Return Trip or find home is accomplished by not sweeping for the flame when a
room is entered rather looking for the home circle. Three Fairchild IR sensors are
mounted on the bottom of the vehicle facing the floor. They are calibrated to go high on
white surfaces. Once all three sensors, arranged in a lateral triangle pattern are high the
vehicle is in the home circle- this indicates the end of the competition.

Suppression/Detection System

After receiving a start signal for the HC12 (navigation system) the suppression
algorithm is implemented. The system uses a 12V unipolar 1.8 degree step stepper motor
(see manufacture specification sheet in AFFR Project Binder) to sweep for the flame.
Input from the UvTron flame detection sensor is feed into the IRQ interrupt of the

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systems state machine. If the spectral response of a flame is detected the system goes
into flame saturation mode (see source code in AFFR Project Binder). However one key
element to the system is the time needed for spectral response. The internal signal
processing of the sensor and driver board output random capture times. The five volt
high pulse that indicates a flame is present ranges from 40mS (best case) to 160mS
(worst case). It was necessary to design for the worst case so the stepper motor takes one
step every 170mS to allow enough capture time for worst case scenarios.
The IRQ interrupt located on the HC08 at pin 4 is set up to stop the scanning
cycle on the falling edge of the pulse output of the UvTron kit. The system triggers on
the falling edge and needs three consecutive falling edges to move into a halt/suppression
state. The stepper motor is controlled by the HC08 in conjunction with a unipolar stepper
driver board. A UN508B allegro driver chip was implemented to accomplish this task.
Pulsing a square wave signal equivalent to 6Hz (one pulse every 170mS) allowed for the
dwell at each step needed for flame detection. This was designated as the output of pin
15 on the HC08. The direction was controlled via a logic high or low (0-5v) pin 14. To
change directions two limit switches were impregnated on the sweep mechanism. There
are three direction states: Clockwise, Counter Clockwise and Halt. Each state is written
in C with switch case statements (see source code). If either limit switch was it more
than once the system defaults to stop and send a message to the navigation controller with
one of two messages. The two possible scenarios are fire detected and suppressed or no
fire. A variable in C was designated to go high if the fire state was reached. After the
system goes through the suppression it again sweeps for the flame to make sure that it is
out (accomplished via limit switch greater than one). Had it entered the fire state and the
limit switch counter variable greater than one the system would send a Yes2Fire had the
system simply reached LimitCounter>1 and Yes2Fire was still zero it would send a
NoFire to the HC12. Ports PTA1 and PTA2 pins 2 and 13 respectively. PTA1 represents
the FireFound and PTA2 is the NoFire.
The HC12 based on the output of the HC08 will either continue searching for the
flame or find the home circle. Consequently the search for flame is a result of being sent
NoFire from pin 13 and find home circle from pin 2.
The suppression (Fire) state, as indicated earlier, is a result from three consecutive
falling edges on the IRQ interrupt (pin 4 HC08). This state sets the Yes2Fire variable to
one and activates the pump and cam motor. Using standard MosFets (see manufacturer
Specifications in AFFR Project Binder) the PWM output of the HC08 activates them.
With a 12V supply the pump is turned on and a simple voltage divider to step the 12V
down to 3.5V the cam motor is activated. Since the state machine is called every 170mS
and a 2second delay is required for the cam motor to sweep the vertical area three times
(sufficient water saturation to extinguish the flame) a variable called FireCount is used to
create a two second delay.

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