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STRIDER: Semi-Autonomous Tracking Robot with Instrumentation for Data-Acquisition and Environmental Research

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Conference

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

New Orleans, Louisiana

Publication Date

June 26, 2016

Start Date

June 26, 2016

End Date

June 29, 2016

ISBN

978-0-692-68565-5

ISSN

2153-5965

Conference Session

Biological & Agricultural Division Technical Session 1

Tagged Division

Biological & Agricultural

Page Count

12

DOI

10.18260/p.25891

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/25891

Download Count

481

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Paper Authors

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Abhijit Nagchaudhuri University of Maryland - Eastern Shore

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Dr. Abhijit Nagchaudhuri is currently a Professor in the Department of Engineering and Aviation Sciences at University of Maryland Eastern Shore. He is a member American Society for Mechanical Engineers (ASME), American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and, American Society for Agricultural and Biological Engineers(ASABE) and is actively involved in teaching and research in the fields of (i) robotics and mechatronics, (ii)remote sensing and precision agriculture, and,(iii) biofuels and renewable energy. He has published more than 70 refereed articles in journals and conference proceedings. Dr. Nagchaudhuri received his baccalaureate degree from Jadavpur University in Kolkata, India with honors in Mechanical Engineering. Thereafter, he worked in a multinational industry for a little over three years before joining Tulane University as a graduate student in the fall of 1987. He received master’s degree from Tulane University in 1989 and doctoral degree from Duke University 1992.

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Abbas H. Diab University of Maryland - Eastern Shore

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Abbas Diab, BS in engineering with mechanical specialization, is currently a graduate student at University of Maryland Eastern Shore pursuing MS degree in Food & Agriculture Sciences . During his undergraduate studies, Mr. Diab along with a group of undergraduates, worked on several academic and research projects. He designed and built several ground, air, and water platforms for precision agriculture reasons. Currently he holds the position of chair of the ASME UMES chapter.

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Christopher E. Hartman University of Maryland - Eastern Shore

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Lei Zhang University of Maryland - Eastern Shore

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Dr. Lei Zhang received his Ph.D. Degree in Electrical Engineering on 2011 from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Since 2012 he is working in the Department of Engineering and Aviation Sciences, University of Maryland Eastern Shore. His main research interests include image processing, autonomous system, optical SoC/NoC architecture, and on-chip optoelectronic device design.

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Madhumi Mitra Ph.D. University of Maryland - Eastern Shore

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Dr. Madhumi Mitra is currently a professor of environmental sciences in the department of Natural Sciences at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. She is also the coordinator of Biology and Chemistry Education. Dr. Mitra is actively involved in teaching and research in the areas of biofuels and renewable energy; applications of algae in food and environment; and water quality. She has published several peer-reviewed articles in journals and conference proceedings, and is the recipient of various awards and competitive grants. Dr. Mitra received her baccalaureate degree from Presidence College in Kolkata, India with honors in Plant Biology, Geology, and Physiology. She received her master’s degree from University of Calcutta, India, and her doctoral degree from North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC in 2002.

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Yakov Pachepsky USDA-ARS

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Rakesh Joshi

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Abstract

STRIDER is conceived to be a self-propelled aquatic platform for automated sampling, characterization, and depth profiling to document microbial content and nutrient load of surface waters. It has served as the basis for senior design project for several engineering students at University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) and continues to provide a development platform for a multidisciplinary team of STEM students to meet all of the design requirements with supervision of a team of UMES faculty members and collaborators from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The design and data analyses efforts will also serve as the basis of a master’s thesis work for a STEM graduate student at UMES.

At present the base platform has been designed and utilized for navigation using remote control to specified locations to collect water quality data and sampling of surface water on a UMES pond. For visualization purposes geo-located measurement data have been embedded on appropriate google earth imagery. Preliminary trials with PID gain adjustments for autonomous navigation have also been undertaken. Design alternatives are being explored for collecting water samples from various depths along with corresponding in-situ water quality data.

Integration of education, experiential learning, and research encompassing several disciplines that often create artificial walls within academia have provided rich learning outcomes for not only the individuals who have directly participated in design, development, and analysis efforts, but also to those interested students who have participated in group discussions and critical thinking endeavors to explore design alternatives. Informal conversations with students have provided anecdotal evidence of positive learning outcomes. Formal assessments has been undertaken to document assessment of academic, life-skills, and civic responsibility outcomes of the student engagement with the project.

Nagchaudhuri, A., & Diab, A. H., & Hartman, C. E., & Zhang, L., & Mitra, M., & Pachepsky, Y., & Joshi, R. (2016, June), STRIDER: Semi-Autonomous Tracking Robot with Instrumentation for Data-Acquisition and Environmental Research Paper presented at 2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, New Orleans, Louisiana. 10.18260/p.25891

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