2021 SAR Video Planning

2021 SAR Video Planning

SAR Video Objective (From URC Website)

SAR Videos are limited to a single video that is no longer than 5 minutes (5:00). Teams may use any combination of video techniques - to include individuals talking, rover demonstrations, voiced-over-slides, etc. However, audio quality of any voice used is absolutely imperative, even at the expense of video quality. Do not include background music that makes voices hard to hear and understand. The use of captions/subtitles is encouraged, especially for non-native English speakers. Videos may be submitted via a link to YouTube. Videos must be publicly accessible and searchable. By submitting the SAR Video, teams acknowledge that some or all of their video may be utilized by URC for promotion purposes.

Judges will not consider any content after 5:00 in the video, regardless of the situation or content remaining.

The primary intent of the video is to demonstrate rover progress/capabilities, and also expand upon/complement the report. Teams will be scored/evaluated on their demonstrated progress in each of the 4 competition missions. Historical data has shown that teams who cannot demonstrate by this deadline rover functionality on several of the mission requirements (e.g., remote command and control, traversing uneven terrain, picking up a 5 kg weight, flipping a switch) are unlikely to be judged favorably.

Teams are reminded that the judges are professionals with technical backgrounds, and decades of combined experience in evaluating student rover projects. Videos that focus on an overly embellished marketing format (e.g. a “Kickstarter style” video) while failing to provide meaningful content will not be judged favorably. Teams are encouraged to demonstrate their rover in a variety of situations that demonstrate readiness.

PRIORITY FOOTAGE FOR THIS YEAR

More diverse traversal
Detailed science mech footage
Autonomous driving segment IRL stuff

2020 Feedback

Interesting test yard, but would like to see more extreme terrain.
Science and servicing tasks are well documented. Looks like a solid entry.
It would be good to see your science package processing a sample.
Autonomy should have been demonstrated.
Use the video to demonstrate what the rover can do, we can read the design details in the written portion.
Link to 2020 SAR Video Submission: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdzvQH2y7EQ

General Framework Idea for our 2021 Video (please edit, review and comment)

Below is a super rough idea of footage and time stamps for this year's video. Please feel free to add any content you think should be in this section, and if you disagree with anything written please comment. Any and all feedback is great

[0:00 - 0:30] Introduction

Brief intro talking about our team, and how we are prepared and excited to have the opportunity to participate in URC. It would nice to include some IRL footage of team leads maybe in this segment, or somewhere else in the video

[0:30 - 1:30] Retrieval and Delivery

Explanation on the engineering behind how the robot moves.
Background footage showcasing traversal capabilities - the robot going up a steep incline, traversing over a big rock, traversing hills, sandy, rocky areas, vertical drops, etc.
Footage showcasing picking up rocks, small tools, and the robot completing a rope tow over a relatively long distance
Briefly showcase our antenna and base station, and describe capabilities

[1:30 - 2:30] Equipment Servicing Mission

Explanation on engineering behind arm movement and claw operation
Ideally we want to including background footage showcasing all equipment service mission tasks if possible:

opening a drawer, inserting a cache and closing the drawer
Inserting a USB into a port
Flipping a switch or turning a knob
Undoing a latch
Tightening a screw with the allen key
Typing a message on a keyboard

It would be good to include some POV gimbal footage here in real time with footage of the robot completing an equipment servicing task

[2:30 - 3:30] Autonomous Navigation Mission

Explanation on the engineering and systems utilized to accomplish the autonomous navigation mission
Footage should be a mix of the robot moving (would be cool if we can capture this footage using a drone), as well as footage showing the robot’s interpretation of the surrounding environment (see Michigan images)

Footage including AR tag detection, GPS coordinate interpretation footage, robot alignment between two gate post, and footage demonstrating obstacle avoidance and route finding

[3:30 - 4:30] Science Mission

Explanation on engineering behind sample retrieval and analysis mechanisms, as well as scientific explanations on tests performed, what they check for, and how positive/negative results are identified. Also brief explanation on how data results are transmitted
Footage for this segment should include the processing of a science sample - from retrieval to storage to testing. It would also be good to give visual representations of the types of results we hope to see from the tests
VIDEO SHOTS: test tubes being mixed and final colour of purple/yellow being shown, then some shots of random rocks if possible but not necessary
If we have sensors ready we can include them too

[4:30 - 5:00] Closing

Brief overview of our validation plans and facilities used for mock mission tests

Video Content Ideas

To start off on our video scripting, I thought it would be a good idea for each subteam to list all of the new features on our robot that have been updated since last year’s competition. I’m hoping we can pull from this list to add to video scripts when talking about our design. Please add any redesigns or new projects you have worked on for your subteam since last year’s design that will likely make it to this year’s robot design to the table excel spreadsheet! https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1u4ZO0imYzdKRoajdqU_I8SZ50xQZFlxG2Tyo-R_gQEE/edit?usp=sharing

List of Equipment Needed for SAR Footage

It’s also a good idea to start planning for what kind of equipment we will need in the SAR video. Science, autonomous driving section and science will all likely need some equipment to showcase mission goals within their respective sections in the video, so please contribute to the excel sheet in this same drive folder. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1u4ZO0imYzdKRoajdqU_I8SZ50xQZFlxG2Tyo-R_gQEE/edit?usp=sharing

Key Footage Content Idea Overview

Footage showcasing the robot completing tasks relating to each of the competition missions. This involves:

Science Mission: Footage showcasing full mock science mission: sample retrieval, preparation for analysis, completion of different science tests, resulting positive and negative results, data transmission
Extreme Retrieval and Delivery Mission: Footage showing the robot traversing sandy areas, stony areas, rock traversal, big vertical drops, going up steep slopes. Showcase antenna and base station, and some retrieval tasks. Key tasks include towing a 5kg object with a rope, lifting a 5kg item, hand tool retrieval
Equipment Servicing Mission: Footage showcasing tightening of screw using allen key, typing on a mechanical keyboard, latch operation, cache container pick up (small toolbox with a handle kind of shape) and drop off into a drawer (open and close drawer), USB insertion, joystick operation, push buttons, flip switches, etc.
Autonomous Navigation Mission: Showcase AR tag detection, route finding, obstacle avoidance, navigation between two posts, GPS coordinate traversal and LED indicator results upon completing various autonomous tasks (Red for autonomous operation, Blue for teleoperation, Flashing green for leg completion)

Footage showcasing testing plans, whether it be simulations for autonomous missions, IRL testing facilities to simulate mock meets, etc.
Diverse traversal showcase (various types of terrain in various settings)
Animations of internal workings of mechanisms in CAD, followed up by footage of the mechanism working in real life (this will be back up footage in case we don’t have enough footage of the working robot).
Other footage to consider:

E-Stop functionality
Specs relating to top speed, battery life, effective range, conformity to robot size rules, time required from shut off / in transport to operations

Footage Ideas

POV footage of gimbal during equipment servicing missions
Drone footage (good for the autonomous segment testing)
Maybe CAD footage showcasing robot assembly (this was done by BRAC, the number 3 university in their robot intro and I thought it was pretty neat)
IRL footage of team leads
B-roll footage of assemblies, soldering processes, design etc. if we don’t have enough working robot footage

Review of Last Years Top Two SAR Scorers

Michigan:

[0:00 - 0:19] Introduction
[0:19 - 1:17] Retrieval and Delivery Mission Details

Robot frame design, engineering details regarding traversal capabilities, diverse terrain traversal footage (down stairs, over large rocks, up steep hills)
Engineering details regarding robotic arm, showcase of degrees of freedom and gimbal camera, demonstration of 5kg payload rope tow
Brief explanation of plans for further testing/validation for retrieval and delivery mission details

[1:17 - 1:56] Equipment Servicing Mission Details

Brief overview of claw control scheme
Engineering details on arm/claw movement allowing for precise and smooth movements
Showcases gripping small objects precisely off perforated sheet, hex key screw operation, typing on a keyboard, opening a cabinet, delivering and object then closing cabinet
Brief explanation of robot operator training plans

[1:56 - 2:57] Autonomous Navigation Mission Details

Describes how the robot performs autonomous driving
Provides footage of robot navigating through a field to various AR tags, driving over a specific paved path and the robot aligning itself within the gate
Also provides real time footage of software simulation, and a representation of how the robot actually performs autonomous driving (see below)
Brief explanation of autonomous driving algorithm simulation details and testing plan

[2:57 - 3:37] Communications Equipment Showcase

Showcases robots power supply, antennae and communication capabilities

[3:37 - 4:37] Science Mission Details

Explains sample retrieval system, and sample analysis equipment. Describes what specifically the robot looks for when analyzing samples. Also explains how system transmits data results back to base station
Includes footage of sample retrieval and processing, sample analysis, positive and negative results for different types of tests

[4:37 - 5:00] Explains plans between SAR and competition date, as well as further testing plans and mock mission evaluation plans

Stanford

[0:00 - 0:57] Introduction

Background footage is mostly traversal

[0:57 - 1:49] Robot Specs

Explains power supply, robot speed, time from in storage to operation, e-stop details, power distribution board, antenna and base station details
Background footage of this segment showcases diverse traversal situations

[1:49 - 2:24] Retrieval and Delivery Mission Details

Explains engineering behind suspension system, treading, camera system
Provides rope tow footage, more traversal footage, and gimbal camera POV footage

[2:24 - 2:53] Autonomous Navigation Mission Details

Brief overview of how the robot achieves autonomous driving
Background footage shows the robot performing an autonomous driving task, mirrored with the navigation system software footage in real time

[2:53 - 3:53] Equipment Servicing Mission Details

Brief overview describing engineering aspects of how arm and claw move to achieve precise tasks
Footage including plugin a USB into a port, unlocking a latch, turning on a light switch, using the hex key to screw in in a bolt, operating a vice clamp, typing on a keyboard, opening a cabinet and retrieving a 12lb object
Interesting segment on how robot claw probes for force feedback (?)

[3:53 - 4:37] Science Mission Details

Describes tests that the robot performs to analyze samples
Showcases how samples are analyzed on turntable, agent dispensation, expected testing results (overall, not too much footage shown for this segment)

[4:37 - 5:00] Random jokes footage and closing

SAR 2021 Script (Revised from Last Year’s Script)

Link to Last Years Script

We will likely be rearranging this script to fit a mission by mission format described above in the doc rather than subteam format used last year, and shown below. But its good to organize our information as shown below, so its easier to rework the script once we have our footage base

Part 1: Introduction

Ideally, we’d want to get new footage for our entire SAR submission but if not I guess we can reuse some of our old traversal footage.

Footage:

Speaking shot of Mathieu
Robot Traversal Footage B-Roll

Talking Points:

Introduce ourselves

Script:

“

Welcome to UWaterloo Engineering;

I’m Mathieu Harter, and on behalf of the University of Waterloo Rover Team, I am proud to introduce you to our newly designed Mars Rover for URC 2021: WAT-E.

Despite the challenges posed by COVID restrictions, our multi-disciplinary team of over 50 members have been working hard remotely. Our team consists of mechanical, electrical, software, science and business subdivisions which have spent the and spent the last year redesigning, testing and improving on our 2020 Mars Rover.

”

Mechanical Summary

Footage:

Mech Lead (Asha?) discussing mechanical specs
Diverse traversal footage (going over rocks, snowy/sandy hills, steep vertical drops if possible)
rope towing a 5kg weight (can reuse last year if need be)
Picking up tools
Arm mechanical competency footage (pick up a cache, open cabinet, close cache), flipping switches, bolt tightening with allen key, etc. (most footage will probably be reused from last year)

Talking Points:

Robot specs (speed, weight, max incline, lifting capacity, arm degrees of freedom
Types of terrain we’ve tested the robot on
Base station specs and current upgrades

Script:

“

Our new rover design will continue to use last years light-weight and low-profile four wheel suspension system. It features 12 in balloon tires, and is able to traverse 16 inch high obstacles, and drive at a top speed of 6mph.

We refined last year’s arm design by reducing the weight of some of the arm’s components without compromising on the arm’s performance. This year’s arm continues to have a maximum lifting capacity of 25 lbs, is capable of holding 10 lbs at full extension. We have implemented absolute encoders across the entire arm to improve the arm’s precision and provide more accurate positional data for the operator. Our arm has five degrees of freedom and a continuous-rotation wrist which interfaces with a newly designed end-effector and a redesigned robust allen key attachment to be used on the equipment servicing mission.The forearm/wrist was redesigned to allow for 360 degree rotation assembly features a compact profile and half the weight of last season’s design, while the end-effector has the same footprint but extends almost one and a half times as wide.

SCIENCE (courtesty of Asha and Safia :] )

The science mechanism uses a large servo-driven shovel to scoop dirt, improving upon last year's shovel to be able to hold more dirt. A geneva indexing mechanism rotates and locks one of eight test tubes into a position for it to receive dirt. The mechanism's lid opens to receive the dirt, then closes and moves on to the next sample. Once all the samples are placed in the centrifuge, the geneva indexer spins it very quickly to mix the samples and perform protein, pH and nitrogen tests.

SHORT VERSION OF SCIENCE EXPLANATION:

Soil sample analysis involves 5 on-board tests. The reagent ninhydrin will be used for protein detection. It identifies the presence of amino acids through its reaction with free amines to produce a deep blue/violet or yellow colour. The soil will be centrifuged with sterile water and ninhydrin to determine if a colour change has occurred.

pH and nitrogen levels will be analyzed by centrifuging soil and sterile water with non-toxic indicators that change colour to indicate their values. These three tests will be compared to on-board controls.

A soil-specific moisture and temperature sensor will be inserted directly into the soil as well for environmental condition testing.

Rock sample analysis will involve meticulous visual analyses using a camera on the mechanism, which include looking for evidence of life present such as the identification of microbial mats, and stromatolites, assessing the rock type and also weathering.

The samples will also be analyzed for evidence of extinct life in the form of microbial fossilization and characteristics associated with being caused by previous microbial presence such as fine layering and dark bands of organic matter.

LONG VERSION:

The protein test makes use of the reagent ninhydrin which is known to identify the presence of amino acids through its reaction with free amines to produce a deep blue/violet or yellow colour. The soil will be centrifuged with sterile water and ninhydrin to determine if a colour change to violet or yellow occurs to indicate proteins present. Positive and negative controls will be present on the rover to compare results to.

pH and nitrogen levels will be analyzed by centrifuging soil and sterile water with non-toxic indicators that change colour to indicate their values.

A soil-specific moisture and temperature sensor will be inserted directly into the soil as well for environmental condition testing.

Rock sample analysis involves meticulous visual analysis using a camera on the mechanism starting with looking for evidence of life present such as the identification of microbial mats, stromatolites, and thrombolites.

Assessing the rock type and weathering will be done to determine if strong evidence of rock-associated microbes are present.

The samples will also be analyzed for evidence of extinct life in the form of microbial fossilization and characteristics associated with being caused by previous microbial presence. This can include fine layering, dark bands of organic matter, rough wavy texture, or conical and branching forms.

Comms Summary

Footage:

Don’t know who we will use to discuss this lol
Robot driving around terrain with the antennas equipped
Base station footage

Talking Points:

Comms frequencies and network stuff
New Base station design

Script:

This year’s rover uses comms running on 900mhz, 2.4ghz, and 5ghz. We have implemented automatic load balancing so that more network traffic goes through the frequencies with higher bandwidth. In the event that one of the frequencies loses signal, traffic will automatically be redistributed over the remaining frequencies. We’ve also redesigned our base station hardware to utilize a robust tripod to allow for quick set-up time and greater stability.