The
project AVRobot is an object-tracking camera device based on Atmel AVR microcontroller.
It is designed for the use on humanoid robots. Therefore its appearance is similar
to a human head. All image processing tasks are carried out by the AVRcam -
a low-cost image processing system for hobby-applications. With the help of
that camera-system, a pre-defined object will be kept in the centre of the frame.
Two AC servo motors are assigned to rotate the camera in two dimensions.The head is constructed out of aluminium sheet and can be turned around two axes by each one AC servo motor, to ensure, the sought object can be kept in the centre of the frame at all time. All electronic components are mounted on this construction, so it can work autonomously. A control-panel is mounted on the backside of the head which allows the user to operate the system. Pushbuttons and switched can activate certain functions, while LEDs show the status of the program. The camera module AVRcam is mounted on the front of the construction. It is the systems eye, by detecting objects of a defined colour in the range of the camera.
The difficulties of the project lay in the need of designing a construction which provides enough degrees of freedom for the required movements, while carrying all electrical components and hold out against all mechanical forces, provoked by the movements of the head itself. Beside this, a running communication between the AVRcam and a specially developed control-board has to be ensured, so that the information supplied by the AVRcam can be post-processed correctly. This information is further used to regulate the AC servo motors.
The project could be finished successfully and provides many interesting possibilities of expansion as well as areas of application. The object detection works without any problems and also the regulation of the AC servo motors has been realised optimal.
