Finally done the thesis

These just be done now, I'd changed lots stuff. Tomorrow, I'll have to continuous working on the patch and "training" robot. Only have no more than one week to prepare the presentation.

Robot running.

Finally, I got robot work.

There were so many problems since I run the robot at the first time. i.e. Errors on robot's and tracking system's coordinate axes, also on the convention between these two; errors on the matrix translation; errors on the angle calculation. These cause the difficulty in real time interaction. As the robot movement is controlled by the human moving, any error on the data processing would cause robot crash to that person or even out of the control. Errors which are on the robot's side were solved or reduced as much as my friend could by coding on the robot control system. What I did was try the best to reduce the other errors by programming in Max/Msp, like matrix translation, convention of coordinate axes. Even like that, if wanna robot move as precise as I expecting, it still needs lots work. But, as our work goes so far, robot can do the basic action with relevant slow consistence speed and it looks not too bad.

Routes for robot movement were reduced from 5 to 4 (or may be 3). Because the data which is received by robot as command are formed only with the value of X and Y. Thereby, the in situ action can not be excused. However, at the begin, this was considered to be coded as one type of the performable injunctive data to robot.

Those 4 types routes are represented with 4 different commands, there are "Moving around person", " Following", " Shape 'Z' follow"; "Parallel moving". Just as it's named, robot was expected to run like that. Until now, there are 2 of routes have been excused a kind of properly. The reason to say that is due to the recently unsolved errors, although most of errors were reduced by coding from the robot's side and the side of Max/Msp.

The evaluation will take place tomorrow with the testing of this project. The first test was two weeks ago, which was so funny. Robot was a sort of uncontrollable, that was due to the Y axis Y between tracking system and the robot, they develop in the opposite direction actually. Now this problem was solved, also the errors of convention of axis X were reduced again today. (Wohoo, looks lots work done, so far)

Anyway, robot is running, and I can do the following work now.That's cool.

First moving

I'm working so far, the robot has not really moved even once. Last week, my project finally ran the first time, however, there still lots problems have not be really solved.

First testing is to send a command to robot, let it follow a person. The command sent to robot is X.Y value, which is exact same point that a person past through. Testing was not too bad, robot did follow the command and move properly. But robot moved to the opposite direction. The reason for that happen, was due to the robot own X-axis was not as same as the tracking system's.
Also , there's a problem about transformation of scale of abscissa between tracking system and robot system.

In the next week, it will be busy: keep testing; updating thesis; evaluation.

Writing thesis

Today, I read the thesis I've done month ago. I feel bad, as I do not understand some of what I've wrote about, and there are lots bad grammars. Correct, read again, still have some "Chinglish". However I did not feel comfortable with this kind of mistakes, I have to keep writing, get the rest part done as much as I can.

Socket problem finally be solved, new problems came out. Today, I just fond some of the control problems with checking previous work for writing thesis. Oh, dear! My darling god! Look, what I've done before! Although these mistakes I can fix and won't take too long time, I just was not feeling bright, indeed, I pissed myself off. Time is getting less, and I have to look it back to fix those kinds of stupidity. Tomorrow I might have to run all of the project. JJ is already not happy with my progression, and my friend is really busy recently...

Evaluation have to be took place next week. Hope, hope, less problems...

Just finished the sound generators Chapter, tomorrow, I'm going to write about the routes design part which will take some time.

Half test

Time is less and less, although, there is one or two weeks left for evaluation, I still have to write the rest part asap.

Until today, the socket finally working, but the new problem is to split the number and the symbol which is stick with the last number without the space. Last Friday, I tested my half project, the sound generate for human. Funny thing is, tracking system just sent at most 3 number in a group at each time, the receive in PD was fine, but when sent to MSP socket, it only showing the first one or separating the number group into two. I tried different way to figure out the problem, until I unpack the receive data with 4 number boxes. The data shows that the first two number were 0, only the last two shows the data which I want. That's wired! But at least got it work.

This test although have not be able to check all the project, it checked the sound generate is working fine at least, then I only have to check the other part to make sure it works only. Hope will get all of these work soon.

Tidy

Finally in Aug. Can not believe it!

Patch I've done was in mass totally, have to tidy and repair it.

Funny thing is , there are exact the same patch, one was work, another one was not. But this was not a big deal, I fixed it. The big deal is, I really need to get two sockets work well then I will be able to do the following test.

Tuesday, hopefully the patch will be completed.

Working on the rest thesis.

First test is coming

Finally, the sound patches are nearly complete. Today I'm going to do the first test about what I've done so far, except the robot moving part. Though, the robot moving part is the most important one, I will not be able to spend much time on it, even if the previous reading are almost about the robot's routes design.
This project suppose focus on the evaluation, but as far as my studying, it seems about the sound design for movement or environment descriptions. Well, how the final demo looks like, it still have some time do work on it. Hopefully, it will be finished on time.