R17-U3 · usually age 17 · Autonomy Innovators

Safe Autonomy

How should an autonomous robot respond to failure?

Outline: sessions not yet written

Build: Navigation prototype with emergency stop

Who it is for

Age is a starting point, never a limit. A learner who can show what this unit starts from can begin here at any age.

How they learn: By designing systems in C++ or Python, using simulation as preparation, and proving behaviour with measured trials.
The adult's role: An adult reviews safety, tools and higher-risk subsystems.
Session: 90–120 minutes
Hardware: Arduino, Raspberry Pi Pico, ESP32 or a Raspberry Pi computer. Many of these boards are 3.3 V: use level shifting for 5 V parts. Advance only after driver and power competency.

Modular robot software
Split a robot program into parts that pass messages.
Built in R17-U1 Robotics Software Systems
Motor drivers
Use a motor driver with its own supply, and a stop switch that cuts motor power.
Built in R11-U1 Build the Rover
Power budget
Estimate current draw and battery life, and avoid brownouts that reset the board.
Built in R13-U1 Mobile Robot Hardware
Failure analysis
Analyse failures and justify a change with test data.
Built in R13-U4 Rescue Rover Mission
Safe default
Make a system fall back to a safe state when something goes wrong.
Built in R09-U4 Smart Crossing

Fail-safe autonomy
Design and test what an autonomous robot does when a part fails.
Input for R17-U4 Community Robotics Capstone
Planning
Plan a path and choose actions that reach a goal safely.
Input for R17-U4 Community Robotics Capstone

No studio lab or activity for this unit yet.

This unit is an outline: a title, a question and an intended prototype. Its sessions, materials and adult guide are not written yet.