July 2005 ISSUE

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UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA

ROBOT ON WHEELS MEETS WORLD

U of A Engineering Faculty Unveils URSA After Thousands
of Student Volunteer Hours

BY VIVIAN GIANG
University of Alberta

Robots and Masters Several members of the team involved in the AVRP pose with their creation, APEGGA helped cover costs through the Association's Engineering Student Projects Fund.

The University of Alberta Faculty of Engineering has unveiled a completely original, 250-lb. auto-nomous robotic vehicle named URSA. The 40 engineering students involved with the project volunteer their extracurricular time and are responsible for all technical and administrative aspects of the project.

Team leader David Kastelan, E.I.T., says literally thousands of volunteer hours have been put into this year-round project, which was demonstrated June 3. The project team held an indoor presentation detailing the mechanical, electrical and computer aspects of URSA, prior to an outdoor demonstration.

URSA is a passively articulated, four-wheel-drive vehicle with a custom-built platform of lightweight aluminum components and a honeycomb chassis. Powered by nickel-metal hydride batteries and planetary drives, URSA can reach speeds of eight km/h. Its sensors include video cameras, a SICK LMS laser measurement system, a differential GPS, a digital compass, and an inertial measurement unit.

An onboard laptop performs high-level processing, while low-level control is carried out by a microprocessor. Accessories such as lighting and a voice board are integrated via a custom, I2-circuit routing system.

The Autonomous Robotic Vehicle Project has existed since 1997 to develop, apply and promote robotic technology. URSA is the fifth and most capable robot produced by the ARVP at the U of A.

Designing and building of the vehicle were made possible through generous campus, local business support and APEGGA support.