fire-fighting robot

cbryanj · Post by **cbryanj** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 1:57 pm

I am doing an engineering project on how to build a fire-fighting robot that uses an infrared camera to locate the fire. What would be the best place to start- by using a kit or by starting from scratch. If I start with a kit, which one should I use?
Bryan

davidkallman · Post by **davidkallman** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 8:57 pm

Hi cbryanj,

No, I don't have an answer to your questions of kit vs. scratch for building a fire-fighting robot, or which kit to use.

I do have one question for you. Is the fire-fighting robot intended for the Trinity College Fire-Fighting Home Robot Contest, http://www.trincoll.edu/events/robot ?

If so, your question is outside the bounds of this bulletin board. (Anyone, please correct me here.)

In any case, however, you might want to look at the methods used by the winners of the contest. (also, see associated youtube videos.)

Craig_Bridge · Post by **Craig_Bridge** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 8:57 am

If so, your question is outside the bounds of this bulletin board. (Anyone, please correct me here.)

I respectively disagree with Dave's assesment on the boundaries of what science buddy experts are (or should be) willing to help with. This would be a case where I feel it would be up to the individual experts. The Trinity College contest rules have several divisions. If you are planning on entering the Trinity College challenge in the High School division, the experts need to know that up front so they know the rules and so they can keep their advice and help within the guidelines for the division to prevent your entry from being moved to the senior division where even professional engineers with 30 years experience are welcome.

I hope your project is a group project. Even if you start with a kit, there is so much to do and learn and redo in multiple areas that a practical demonstration is beyond what one or two people can accomplish even with hands off expert advice. I personally do not have any experience with the available kits, there aren't many experts monitoring the site in the summer, so this is probably the wrong place to find good make / buy / buy what advice. If this project is not for the Trinity College challenge where there are set objectives and scoring factors, then you haven't provided the experts with any non-subjective criterion to help you formulate your choices. Evaluation of Engineering projects usually involve a cost function (aka an objective measurable evaluation function) that allow for the comparisons of alternatives. Note: provide different cost functions and the judgement of which is best quickly changes.

cbryanj · Post by **cbryanj** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 12:17 pm

no I'm not entering the trinity college contest. I'm doing this for my school science and engineering fair and thought that this wold be fun. i was thinking that using a inferred camera to fiend the flame wold be the best way to find it does any one have any info on weather there is a better way to do so.

Craig_Bridge · Post by **Craig_Bridge** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 3:01 pm

Infrared covers a wide range of wavelengths so if you want to use a camera/sensor, you will need to find one that was designed for thermal imaging/sensing applications. These can be very expensive.

Since you want to do an Engineering Project as a Science Fair project and don't have the benefit of having a well stated objective like you would have with the Trinity College challenge, you should read up on the scientific method and the generic how to do a science fair project so you can formulate an appropriate problem statement.

Without knowing precisely what the problem you actually want to solve, it will be hard to assist you with alternatives.

With any Engineering Project, you also need to come up with a set of constraints. Unless you are independently wealthy or can borrow the equipment you need, one constraint is going to be a project / experimentor's budget.

Please note that some Engineering Projects can be overconstrained. For example: Land a man on the moon and return safely constrained with a budget of $1000.00. I'm doubting that one can be done in the next 50 years.