DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A 4-WHEEL CAR ROBOT AS A PROTOTYPE OF EXPLORATION ROBOT IN BUILDINGS AFFECTED BY AN EARTHQUAKE

• Main Author: Baret Tata, Jota
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/81894
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

This research involves the design and implementation of a four-wheeled mobile robot that serves as a prototype exploration robot in buildings affected by earthquakes. The goal of this research is to assist in the search and evacuation process by mapping indoor areas and determining the fastest evacuation routes. This robot is equipped with a navigation system using ultrasonic sensors and a Raspberry Pi-based microcontroller to detect and avoid obstacles. The developed subsystems include navigation, drive, and power subsystems. Data obtained from the sensors are processed by the Raspberry Pi to determine safe and efficient paths using the exploration algorithm to be implemented. The drive subsystem uses DC motors controlled by a motor driver to move the robot according to the determined path. The power subsystem is designed to ensure that all robot components can operate well during the exploration process. The system implementation is carried out in several stages, namely hardware design, software development, and overall system testing. In the hardware design stage, components such as ultrasonic sensors, DC motors, Raspberry Pi, and other components are integrated into a single unit, the robot. Software development involves creating algorithms for sensor data processing, room mapping, and robot navigation. System testing is conducted by testing the functionality of each component, each subsystem, and the robot's basic movement as well as the system's conformity with the desired specifications. Based on the testing results, the robot developed in this research can perform obstacle avoidance with a success ratio of 85%. Additionally, the robot can traverse slopes with an inclination of no more than 20 degrees. The results of testing the robot's direction change and movement in the grid arena show errors ranging from 2.22% to 7.22% and 0.4% to 2.4%, respectively. These results may yield larger errors due to accumulation when the robot operates in a larger arena. Therefore, future research is expected to develop this robot by adding control mechanisms to minimize the resulting errors. Despite this, the specification test results, namely the dimension specifications of 45 cm x 45 cm x 25 cm, are met with the robot's current dimensions of 27 cm in length, 18 cm in width, and 18 cm in height. The power supply endurance specification test, which required the power supply to support the robot for at least 1 hour, showed that the power subsystem could supply power for a maximum of 2 hours and 40 minutes.