Design Project



Homework 4: Packaging Specifications and Design

Team Code Name: Virtual Presence Vehicle Group No. 13

Team Member Completing This Homework: Brian Bell

E-mail Address of Team Member: bell16 @ purdue.edu

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Evaluation:

|SCORE |DESCRIPTION |

|10 |Excellent – among the best papers submitted for this assignment. Very few corrections needed for version submitted in |

| |Final Report. |

|9 |Very good – all requirements aptly met. Minor additions/corrections needed for version submitted in Final Report. |

|8 |Good – all requirements considered and addressed. Several noteworthy additions/corrections needed for version |

| |submitted in Final Report. |

|7 |Average – all requirements basically met, but some revisions in content should be made for the version submitted in the|

| |Final Report. |

|6 |Marginal – all requirements met at a nominal level. Significant revisions in content should be made for the version |

| |submitted in the Final Report. |

|* |Below the passing threshold – major revisions required to meet report requirements at a nominal level. Revise and |

| |resubmit. |

* Resubmissions are due within one week of the date of return, and will be awarded a score of “6” provided all report requirements have been met at a nominal level.

Comments:

1. Introduction

The goal of the project is to create a portable system which will allow a remotely controlled all-terrain vehicle to be piloted at distances of at least 300 feet without requiring line-of-sight. This will be accomplished through two cameras mounted onto the remote vehicle platform transmitting video signals to each screen in a pair of 3D goggles, resulting in a virtual presence for the driver. The vehicle will also have an onboard GPS system so that the user can not only control the vehicle with a USB controller, but also view the vehicle's location on a map in the goggles when the GPS unit is accessed.

The general layout for packaging the devices required in this project fall into two main sections. Firstly, the mobile platform, or "base station," will house an ATOM board to process video signals, an 802.11 wireless router for communication with the remote vehicle, storage areas for the USB controller and goggles, and a battery supply. In order to maintain portability of the system, the "base station" should weigh a reasonable amount so that when a single handle is mounted to the package, the entire unit might be carried in one hand resembling a suitcase. As for the second package, the remote vehicle is a 1/10 scale remote control car being separately purchased which the user will not directly interact with beyond the initial deployment. Therefore, the only constraint for packaging on the vehicle is fitting the cameras, microcontroller, and on board battery system on top of the vehicle. Furthermore, the batteries on the vehicle should be isolated to prevent heating of more fragile components. These components on the car, in total, use up only a small portion of space on top of the vehicle and weigh little so the performance of the vehicle will not be significantly impeded. In conclusion, the packaging required on the "base station" will resemble a suitcase for portability. In addition, the remote vehicle package will simply have the devices mounted externally on top of the vehicle with metal or plastic shielding to protect the components from the environmental hazards that the vehicle will be exposed to such as heat, intense light, or debris.

2. Commercial Product Packaging

In general, commercial products with similar packaging, purpose, and features to those indicated in this project are marketed as toys. As such, the descriptions of these products are always vey limited to a cursory review of the product as a recreational device. Therefore, datasheets and specific component outlines are impossible to locate and the reviews in this report will be, by nature, slightly generalized accounts. Two comparable products on the market are: Wild Planet Spy Video Car and the FPV RC racer.

1. Product #1

The first product analyzed is the Wild Planet Spy Video Car[1]. This product is marketed completely as a toy for children between the ages of 6-12, and has little or no utility for more serious hobbyists or specialized reconnaissance applications. It is priced at $140, which is intensely low relative to any other wireless video transmitting RC car on the market, bringing the device into the range of "expensive toy," something which might be the "main present" for holidays like Christmas.

The Wild Planet Spy Video Car, which will be further referred to as WPSVC, includes in its packaging: the remote control, headset screen, and the car with both a camera and small light mounted on the top. The primary aspects of the product to be compared to this project are the wireless video systems and the quality of the viewing image. The WPSVC utilizes only one 1/4 VGR CMOS camera mounted on the very front of the vehicle which transmits its image to an eye patch-style viewing screen at a frequency of 2.4 GHz. The hardware used for transmission results in a range of 75 feet for typical indoor household applications. The video signal is received directly by the eye-patch and displayed on a backlit Active Matrix LCD screen. To the perspective of the user, the screen would have a comparable viewing image to watching a 20 inch television at 5 feet away with an aspect ratio of 4:3. Other features of the WPSVC are that the car uses 12 AA batteries and the camera has a small flashlight mounted to the top for viewing close-range objects in low-light settings. The remote control and car communicate at a 49 MHz frequency and the entire product (car, eye-patch, and controller) can fit inside a package with dimensions 17.5"x11"x7.25".

In comparing this product to our project, virtually all features will be superior for this project. The video signal in the "virtual presence device" project will be transmitted at 802.11 wireless standards of 2.4 GHz, resulting in an indoor range of at least 100 feet and a potential outdoor range of 400 feet. Furthermore, the high quality CMOS IP cameras used in this project will record full color 520:480 resolution video which will each be displayed in a goggle headset equivalent to viewing a 55 inch television at 10 feet. The packaging in this project will definitely result in an overall larger product. The 14.375"x 8.000"x7.000” base station will be rather cumbersome compared to the WPSVC having no base station and only a remote and eye-patch. However, the additional range, battery life, and video quality are worth the increase in weight and size. The battery system used will result in upwards of 3 hours of runtime off of a single charge on a wall rechargeable battery pack. In conclusion, no features will be borrowed from this product in considering our project packaging or design constraints.

2. Product #2

The second product being analyzed is the FPV (first person view) RC Racer[2]. The general specifications on this product are much higher quality than Product #1. This device costs around $1050 depending on the vendor and shipping rates available at the time of purchase. The product is marketed for more serious personal spy applications and serious hobbyists.

The technical specifications of the wireless video systems are that the video is taken from a single 420 TVL resolution camera which transmits the video signal via a 2.4 GHz 10mW transmitter. Unlike Product #1, this product actually has the camera mounted on a pivot so that it can rotate and look to the left or right sides of the car. The goggles themselves are not only video goggles, but also have built in headphones which are wirelessly connected to a pair of small microphones on the car itself. Furthermore, the goggles track left/right movement of the user’s head, which the servos on the camera mount actually emulate. The result is that looking left or right in the goggles turns the car’s camera left or right. The goggles display the video signals in full color OLED display with 320 X 240 pixel resolution. The specifics on size and compactness of the packaging are shown in the two pictures below.

In comparing the packaging and specifics of this product to the “virtual presence vehicle” project, the first difference is again the lack of 3D imaging. However, the product does omit the use of a “base station” which resorts in the entire product fitting is a 160x360x460mm suitcase. The packaging of the camera on the car is something to be emulated in the “virtual presence vehicle” since the project also requires the camera to be able to pivot. However, the packaging of the transmitter and controller will not be copied since the “base station” design drastically reduces the cost of the “virtual presence vehicle” project since that design uses less costly transceivers and components.

3. Project Packaging Specifications

The “base station” will specifically be a 14.375"x 8.000"x7.000” box with a pre-mounted handle on the top[3]. Holes will be drilled in the side for AC charge ports, controller port, and 3D goggle port. Also, the box will be compartmentalized so that a section of it will be completely open for storage of the goggles and controller when not in use. The divider will be machined and tailored to the box as needs dictate from a regular thin piece of wood, which can be purchased from any generic hardware store.

The packaging on the car involves only the camera mounting and the battery pack. The car itself has some extra room under the pre-fabricated plastic body which is where the GPS module and PCB will be located. Therefore, no packaging is required for those at all beyond simple screws to attach them to the inner body of the car. The battery pack will be externally mounted without a case since the battery pack itself is packaged as a single plastic encased unit. The cameras will be attached directly to the top of the car through a two axis gimbal-style mount whose specific design is shown in the CAD drawings in Appendix B.

4. PCB Footprint Layout

Since the project consists of two parts, two separate PCB boards will be required. For the base station, the major components on the board will be an ATOM board, a wireless router, a battery and a battery charger, and the major components for the PCB board on the RC vehicle are a GPS module, a battery, a Wi-Fi transceiver and a microcontroller. The parts chosen only have one option of packaging available each. The details about the size of each major part are given in Appendix B. Based on this information, the sizes of the PCB board in the base station and on the car are estimated to be 250 mm x 190 mm and 80 mm x 60 mm respectively. See Appendix C for the initial PCB footprint layout.

5. Summary

The packaging of the project consists of two major components: the camera/battery/microprocessor/GPS module mounted onto the vehicle and the “base station” containing the ATOM board, wireless 802.11 router, battery pack, and storage slot for the 3D goggles and USB controller. The packaging of the onboard systems mounted on the car will be a direct mounting of the components to the car with some plastic or metal pieces to shield the components from environmental hazards. The “base station” unit will be in approximately a 14.375"x 8.000"x7.000” box with an external handle mounted for easy transport of the station. In conclusion, packaging will be one of the less complicating issues in this design, mostly taking the form of boxes or simple shields for components.

List of References

1] Your Stage Inc. (2006). Spy Video Car by Wild Planet Entertainment - Gift Ideas. [Online]. Available:

2] Fat Shark RC. (2005). World's first production FPV RC car with wireless VGA video glasses and head tracking system. [Online]. Available:

3] Digi-Key. (2011). Digi-Key - 1400F-ND (Manufacturer - 1400). [Online]. Available:

4] Intel Corporation. (2009). Intel® Desktop Board D410PT + Intel® Atom™ Processor D410. [Online]. Available:

5] Netgear. (2010). WGR614. [Online]. Available:

6] Trimble. (2008). Copernicus™ GPS Receiver Reference Manual. [Online]. Available:

7] Powerizer Battery. (2011). Smart Charger (0.7A) for 8.4V-12V NiMH Battery Pack--UL listed. [Online]. Available:

8] Microchip Technology Inc. (2010). PIC24FJ256GA110 Family Data Sheet. [Online]. Available:

9] Microchip Technology Inc. (2010). MRF24WB0MA/MRF24WB0MB Data Sheet. [Online]. Available:

10] Powerizer Battery. (2011). Customized NiMH Battery Pack: 12 V 2200mAh (10xAA). [Online]. Available:

11] . (2011). : D-Link DCS-930L mydlink-Enabled Wireless N Network Camera: Camera & Photo [Online]. Available:

Appendix A: Project Packaging Illustrations

The gimbal mount on the vehicle is shown below at real product dimensions of 10.25x8.5x4 inches. Demo of movement here:

The “base station” module is shown below. Dimensions discussed in section 3.0. The image was rendered clear to allow a view inside, however the actual package will not be clear.

Appendix B: Project Packaging Specifications

ATOM board

Intel® Desktop Board D410PT[4]

170mm * 170 mm

Weight: estimated .5 lb

Tooling requirements: screwdriver

WGR614

Wireless Router[5]

Physical Specifications

* Dimensions: 28 x 175 x 118 mm (1.1 x 6.9 x 4.7 in)

* Weight: 0.242 kg (0.534 lb)

Tooling requirements: screwdriver

Trimble 58052-00

GPS module[6]

19mm x 19mm x 2.54mm

Weight: estimated .1 ounce

Tooling requirements: soldering tools

CH-UN8412

Battery Charger[7]

Dimension (LxWxH): 81mm(3.1") x 52mm(2.0") x 30mm(1.2")

Weight: estimated 1 lb

Tooling requirements: screwdriver, soldering tools

PIC24FJ256GA106

On-board Micro[8]

10mm*10mm

Weight: .1 ounce

Tooling requirements: soldering tools

MRF24WB0MA

Wi-Fi Transceiver[9]

21mm*31mm*3.7mm

Weight: .1 ounce

Tooling requirements: soldering

PR-CU-R126

12V 2200mAH NiMH Battery[10]

54 mm x 29.0 mm x 72 mm ( T x w x L)

Weight: estimated .5 lb

Tooling requirements: screwdriver

DCS-930L

Camera[11]

* Product Dimensions: 3.7 x 2.4 x 1 inches

Weight: 2.6 ounces

Tooling requirements: screwdriver

“Base station box”

Digikey 1400F-ND[3]

Dimensions: 14.375” x 8.000" x 7.000”

Weight: 1 lb

Tooling requirements: drill, screwdriver

Appendix C: PCB Footprint Layout

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The diagrams are drawn in scale of 3.93:1.0. The base station board is estimated to be 250 mm * 190 mm, and the on-vehicle board is estimated to be 80 mm * 60 mm.

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NOTE: This is the first in a series of four “design component” homework assignments, each of which is to be completed by one team member. The body of the report should be 3-5 pages, not including this cover page, references, attachments or appendices.

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