This work involves the design and implementation of a gas-sensing mobile robot as an experimental tool to reconstruct a carbon dioxide plume in real-time based on concentration gradient and local wind speed measurements. The autonomous robot, an iRobot Create 2, achieves navigation through an embedded micro-controller using on-board sensors and various sensor fusion methods. A mass flow controller and diffuser are used to dependably generate a plume that simulates a point source. A base station reconstructs the plume via a state estimator through data from the robot and transmits commands to guide it into spatial regions of interest. This method has applicability for unmanned vehicles tracking emissions of contaminants and their effects in the environment.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Fast, Eric Daniel
• Harnais, Stephen Michael
• Wiesenberg, Ryan Michael

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-032117-121912

Advisor

• Gatsonis, Nikolaos A.
• Cowlagi, Raghvendra V.
• Demetriou, Michael A.

Year

• 2017

Sponsor

• AE

Date created

• 2017-03-21

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Interdisciplinary
• Aerospace Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright