CMU-Voyager Phase 3 Report
RPCS Spring 05
May 6th, 2005
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering / Pratik AgarwalGary Feigenbaum
Yuan-Ning “Richard” Hsieh
Kie Tae Park
Asad Samar
Human-Computer Interaction Institute / Alexander Eiser
Information Networking Institute / Gregor Kronenberger
Robotics Institute / Kristen Stubbs
Edited by Pratik Agarwal and Gregor Kronenberger
1 Executive Summary......
2 Overview......
2.1 Summary of Project......
2.2 Summary of Approach......
2.3 Team Member Biographies......
2.3.1 Sensor Group......
2.3.1.1 Pratik Agarwal......
2.3.1.2 Gary Feigenbaum......
2.3.1.3 Yuan-Ning Hsieh......
2.3.1.4 Kie Tae Park......
2.3.1.5 Asad Samar......
2.3.2 Data Group......
2.3.2.1 Alexander Eiser......
2.3.2.2 Gregor Kronenberger......
2.3.2.3 Kristen Stubbs......
3 Conceptual Design......
3.1 Problem Definition......
3.1.1 Dashboard......
3.1.1.1 Baseline Scenario......
3.1.2 Scientific Visualization......
3.1.2.1 Baseline Scenario......
3.2 Initial Solution Concepts......
3.2.1 Table of Selected Technologies......
3.2.2 Dashboard Visionary Scenario 1: Environmental......
3.2.3 Dashboard Visionary Scenario II: Boats, Bridges, and Water Trip......
3.2.4 Scientific Visualization Visionary Scenario......
3.3 Conceptual Design......
3.3.1 Selection criteria based on visionary scenario......
3.3.2 Product Design Specifications......
3.3.3 Software Dashboard......
3.3.4 Scientific Visualization......
3.3.5 Database......
3.3.6 Software IO Module......
4 Detailed Design......
4.1 Sensor Devices......
4.1.1 Electrical Sensors......
4.1.1.1 Functionality......
4.1.1.2 Sensor Positions......
4.1.1.3 Sensor Images......
4.1.1.4 Sensor Experimental Results......
4.1.1.5 Integration in the System Architecture......
4.1.1.6 Hardware Integration Status......
4.1.1.7 Suggestions for the new Voyager......
4.1.2 Flow Rate Sensor......
4.1.2.1 Functionality......
4.1.2.2 FloScan Position......
4.1.2.3 FloScan Images......
4.1.2.4 FloScan Experimentation Results......
4.1.2.5 Hardware/Integration Status......
4.1.3 GPS Sensor......
4.1.3.1 Functionality......
4.1.3.2 Sensor Position......
4.1.3.3 Sensor Images......
4.1.3.4 Sensor Experimental Result......
4.1.3.5 Integration into System Architecture......
4.1.3.6 Suggestions for New Voyager......
4.2 Mathematical Models......
4.2.1 Description and Equations......
4.2.1.1 RPM vs. Fuel Rate......
4.2.1.2 Model Accuracy......
4.2.1.3 Pollution......
4.2.1.4 Model Accuracy......
4.3 Integration Devices......
4.3.1 Data Acquisition Device......
4.3.1.1 Functionality......
4.3.1.2 DAD Placement......
4.3.1.3 DAD Images......
4.3.1.4 DAD Experimental Results......
4.3.1.5 Integration in System Architecture......
4.3.1.6 Hardware Integration Status......
4.3.1.7 Suggestions for the new Voyager......
4.4 IO Application......
4.4.1 Functionality......
4.4.2 Software Architecture......
4.4.3 Integration Status......
4.4.4 Suggestions for the new Voyager......
4.5 Database......
4.5.1 Functionality......
4.5.2 Database Design......
4.5.3 Integration into System Architecture......
4.5.4 Suggestions for the New Voyager......
4.6 Dashboard Application......
4.6.1 Functionality......
4.6.2 Screenshots......
4.6.3 Software Architecture......
4.6.4 Integration into System Architecture......
4.6.5 Suggestions for New Voyager......
4.7 Scientific Visualization Application......
4.7.1 Functionality......
4.7.2 Software Architecture......
4.7.3 Suggestions for New Voyager......
4.8 Costs......
4.8.1 Sensors......
4.8.2 Computer Equipment......
4.8.3 Suggestions for New Voyager......
4.8.4 Time and Personnel......
4.8.5 Total Cost......
4.9 Conclusions......
4.9.1 Summary of Key Design Issues......
4.9.2 Lessons Learned......
4.9.3 Suggestions for the new Voyager......
5 Project Management......
5.1 Phase I Work Effort Summary......
5.1.1 Tasks and Assignments......
5.1.2 HCI/Dashboard......
5.1.3 Scientific Visualization......
5.1.4 Sensors......
5.1.5 Group Tasks......
5.1.6 Task Dependencies......
5.1.7 Work Hour Summary......
5.2 Phase II Work Effort Summary......
5.2.1 Summary of Work Log hours......
5.2.1.1 Data Group......
5.2.1.2 Sensors Group......
5.3 Phase III Work Effort Summary......
5.3.1 Summary of Work Log hours......
5.3.1.1 Data Group......
5.3.1.2 Sensors Group......
5.4 Overall......
5.4.1 Total Work log hours......
6 Appendices......
6.1 List of Images......
6.2 List of Tables......
1Executive Summary
The spring 2005 RPCS Voyager project team developed three visionary scenarios involving instrumentation on board of the Pittsburgh Voyager Educational Ship. The team selected a set of sensors appropriate to acquire the needed data and developed two applications that provide an interface to the collected data: The Dashboard Application and the Scientific Visualization Component. The team installed the selected sensors and a computer on board of Voyager which is now equipped to monitor performance and environmental metrics using the custom developed software.
2Overview
The goal of the Spring 2005 Voyager group is to support the work of the Pittsburgh Voyager project by providing means for students, instructors, and Voyager personnel to view data about Voyager’s energy consumption, electricity usage, and pollution generation.
It is hoped that this work on the current Voyager boat will be applicable to the new Voyager, especially with regards to the dashboard display. After the new Voyager is completed, it is expected that the instrumentation and scientific visualization work will be useful to Voyager staff to monitor the performance of the old boat relative to the new boat.
2.1Summary of Project
To accomplish the goal of providing a means for students and instructors to view data about Voyager’s energy consumption and pollution, a network of sensors collecting data on all aspects of the ships environment. This network of sensors is connected to a display that continuously updates itself with key pollution and electrical summary information. The data will also be displayed in a special instructor-only view, which provides long-term statistics about Voyager’s performance.
2.2Summary of Approach
The proposed design consists of three major subsystems:
- A network of sensors monitoring engine performance, electricity usage, and pollution generation
- A scientific data visualization tool allowing users to graphically represent the data returned from these sensors
- A “dashboard” interface that provides a graphical front-end to show students real-time data from these sensors in a way that will be easy for them to interpret
2.3Team Member Biographies
The 2005 Spring Voyager group is made up of numerous people from widely different backgrounds. For the implementation phase of this project, the Voyager team was split into two smaller subgroups: the Sensor Group and the Data Group.
2.3.1Sensor Group
The sensor group is responsible for purchasing, testing and installing the various sensors needed to record the data from Voyager.
2.3.1.1Pratik Agarwal
Pratik Agarwal is currently a senior pursuing a major in Electrical and Computer Engineering with an additional major in Business Administration at Carnegie Mellon. He has worked in the past at Reliance Infocomm working on developing CDMA mobile phones. Pratik will be joining Merrill Lynch next year to pursue a career in Investment Banking. He brings with him some experience in both hardware and software.
2.3.1.2Gary Feigenbaum
Gary Feigenbaum is an undergraduate senior in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department. He is also pursuing a concentration in the Health Professions program. Gary’s knowledge in electrical and computer engineering falls mainly under the field of circuit theory and analog circuit design. He has experience working as a mechanic and brings real world knowledge about working with diesel engines. Gary hopes to attend medical school in the future.
2.3.1.3Yuan-Ning Hsieh
Yuan-Ning Hsieh is a fourth year undergraduate student in Carnegie Mellon University. After complete most of his course work in his major, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Yuan-Ning Hsieh comes to this project to learn and gain an understanding of how to apply the knowledge he learns from the Electrical and Computer Engineering department to a real world application.
2.3.1.4Kie Tae Park
Kie Tae Park is a senior in Electrical and Computer Engineering department at Carnegie Mellon University. Kie Tae’s primary interests are in designing circuits and in device physics. Kie Tae has spent a whole summer and semester at Cisco Systems, working on hardware testing for high-end routers.
2.3.1.5Asad Samar
Asad Samar is a fourth year PhD student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Carnegie Mellon University. His main research interest lie in building secure and fault tolerant distributed infrastructures. Asad completed his undergraduate studies in 1999 from Pakistan majoring in Computer Hardware Engineering. Before starting his graduate studies, he worked as a research programmer at California Institute of Technology, USA and the European Centre for Nuclear Research, Switzerland. His combination of hardware and software background brings valuable experience to the group.
2.3.2Data Group
The Data group is responsible for building a database in which data from sensors can be stored and for providing ways of accessing that data, a “dashboard” visual interface for students and a scientific visualization tool for Voyager crew members and instructors.
2.3.2.1Alexander Eiser
Alexander Eiser is a master student in the Human Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. He completed his undergrad at Queen’s University, Kingston Ontario with a degree in Computer Science specializing in Software Design. Alex has worked for several companies, including IBM Canada as a database programmer and CMU as a research programmer. Alex brings significant experience in application programming, as well as user focused design and development.
2.3.2.2Gregor Kronenberger
Gregor Kronenberger is a master student at the Information Networking Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. He graduated form Worcester Polytechnic Institute with high distinction in the spring of 2004, completing his double major in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. Gregor gathered most of his work experience during his summer internships and his project related work at companies such as Analog Devices Ireland and Lehman Brothers. He brings database administration experience to the team and is working on the application development side of the project.
2.3.2.3Kristen Stubbs
Kristen Stubbs is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Robotics Institute. Kristen received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities in 2003; her major was Computer Science and her minor was Anthropology. Kristen’s primary research interests are related to human-robot interaction, and so she brings some experience with human-computer interaction to the project. In addition, Kristen has worked with the Personal Exploration Rover project at CMU, in which miniature Mars rovers were installed at science centers around the country. This has helped to give her some experience with designing educational exhibits for the public.
3Conceptual Design
The design of the Dashboard and related sensors is best explained by first reading the underlying problem, then reading the actual design goals and decisions.
3.1Problem Definition
There are two separate problems that the Voyager group is trying to solve.
- Currently the Voyager instructors do not cover energy and fuel consumption. Leaving a large hole in the information that student can learn while on board.
- Only a limited a mount of recorded information about run time and fuel purchased is available for long running analysis.
3.1.1Dashboard
The Dashboard has been envisioned as an application that will allow students and instructors to see, in real-time, information about the current state of Voyager. This includes such information as the number of rotations per minute that one of the engines is making, the amount of pollution the boat is generating, and the amount of electricity being used onboard. The Dashboard could be a useful teaching tool during both of the types of trips that students take on Voyager, the Environmental Trip and the Boats, Bridges, and Water trip. As a result, two visionary scenarios have been generated that describe how the Dashboard could be used during each of these trips.
3.1.1.1Baseline Scenario
By providing students with a means to view real-time information about their Voyager trip, it is hoped that they will gain a greater appreciation and understanding of the need for energy conservation and environmentally friendly means of transportation. The dashboard design that is presented here may also serve as inspiration for a dashboard for the new Voyager and for future curriculum improvements.
3.1.2Scientific Visualization
The Scientific Visualization fulfills the role of allowing crew members to examine the long-term performance of Voyager’s engines as well as her pollution production. This tool can be useful for creating usage predictions, as well as financial forecasting of disposables like fuel.
3.1.2.1Baseline Scenario
Currently there are no visualization systems for monitoring Pollutant and Energy consumption information. This information can only be abstracted from the number of gallons of fuel used per month/year that Voyager is in use. By providing a means to show more detailed fuel consumption, Voyager’s crew will be able to change engine operation parameters and monitor the response in the short term.
3.2Initial Solution Concepts
To solve the problems identified in 3.1, the Voyager team has created several visionary scenarios which demonstrate how the selected technologies will be used.
3.2.1Table of Selected Technologies
Table 1below illustrates particular tasks highlighted in the Dashboard visionary scenarios and the technologies that will enable those tasks to be a part of the Dashboard.
Task in Scenario / TechnologiesGeorge shows kids the dashboard / LCD monitor
Touchscreen or mouse
George explains fuel consumption / FloScan
Mathematical model of engine power from JJM
George explains amount of pollution / Mathematical model of pollution from JJM
George simulates revving the engines / "Interesting data" stored in database
George shows energy usage on ship / H922 Current Sensors
Data Acquisition Devices
N-port RS-232 Hub
George asks about battery charge / One-time measurement of battery charge
George shows kids alternative energy sources / Mathematical models from JJM
Table 1: Selected technologies from the visionary scenarios
3.2.2Dashboard Visionary Scenario 1: Environmental
Jim is a seventh-grade student at Washington Middle School who is taking a trip on Voyager for the first time. Jim’s favorite subject is biology, so he has been looking forward to this field trip for a long time and can’t wait to start collecting and examining samples from the river. Disappointed that his group starts out going to the engine room, Jim listens to the Voyager instructor, George, talk about how the engines work and how the ship generates its own electricity.
When George leads Jim’s group into the classroom, Jim is all set to start doing some biology. Instead, George steps over to a large computer screen and starts telling the students that this dashboard can show them how much fuel the boat is using, how much energy they are using inside of the boat, and even how much pollution they are creating during their trip. Jim’s ears start to perk up a bit. He hadn’t thought about how much his class might be polluting the river by taking the trip!
George touches the screen, and it starts displaying information about how much fuel the boat is using. George asks the class about what might make the boat need to use more fuel: moving upstream, moving downstream, or staying in one place? He points out on the screen how much fuel the boat is using right now, saying that that much fuel is enough to power two hundred lawnmowers.
George touches the screen again, and the display changes. He explains that as they use all this fuel to move up and down the rivers, the boat is generating pollution. George points to the screen and explains that right now, the boat is generating ”this much” carbon dioxide. “That’s about the same amount made by this many cars traveling the same distance,” George says, pointing at the screen.
“Suppose that the captain were to rev the engines right now,” George says. “Let’s look at how that affects how much energy the boat uses and how much pollution it generates.” George clicks a button and the class watches the simulation. The dials and graphs start changing on their own, as if by magic. George points out how the boat seems to be moving faster, how much more energy is being used, and how much more pollution is being generated.
Jim’s class soon moves on to other activities, but throughout the day Jim keeps thinking about how his own class has impacted the river through their trip on Voyager. He is glad that he was able to go and study the river and how people affect the balance of the river ecosystem.
3.2.3Dashboard Visionary Scenario II: Boats, Bridges, and Water Trip
John is an eighth-grade student at Washington Middle School who is taking a trip on Voyager for the first time. John’s favorite subject is physics, so he has been looking forward to this field trip for a long time, he can’t wait to find out how the boat works. John’s group starts in the engine room where he listens to the Voyager instructor, George, talk about how the engines work and how the ship generates its own electricity.
George leads John’s group up to the classroom and starts showing them how various information about the ship is being displayed on a computer screen. “This shows us how much energy we’re using as well as how much pollution the ship is generating,” George explains. First, George touches the screen and shows the students how they can see how much fuel the boat is using.
George touches the screen again, and this time John can see that the screen is showing a little diagram of the ship. George explains that now they are looking at how electricity is being used on the boat. He points out how much power the ship’s batteries currently have. “If it takes about twenty-four hours to charge the batteries when they’re empty, how long would it take to charge up our batteries right now?” asks George. John’s friend Pete raises his hand and answers, “Well, the screen says our batteries are about half full, so about twelve hours?” “That’s right,” answers George with a smile. “Fortunately we don’t have to charge the batteries right now. I think we should probably have enough energy for the trip.” George goes on to explain that as the batteries run down, the crew can turn on a generator to charge them up while underway. However, it is much less expensive to use land-based power, so the Voyager crew tries to minimize the amount of time they run the generators.