All components aboard MiniMinion have some degree of integration each other. Whether a computer or a motor controller, they all need some setup or calibration to function as intended.
The calibration team works with the tasking team to plan which components to prepare next for testing. Calibration team also attends tests to ensure components work as calibrated.
The RoboBoat competition has six core tasks to complete. The tasking team plans out these tasks at the software level to give structure to the robot's autonomous tasks.
The tasking team codes Mini-Minion to uses the sensors, payloads and actuators aboard the ASV to complete each autonomous task.
Weekly tests on the water test the operation of autonomy algorithms, as designed by the tasking team. These tests also verify proper calibration and core operation functionality.
Each plan is structured with defined objectives, success criteria and safety protocol. Tests were evaluated against their intended outcomes.
Mini-Minion software development began a decade ago with the RobotX competition robot: Minion. Our software repository has seen countless hours of testing and refinement.
To design tasks specific to Mini-Minion and the RoboBoat competition, the testing team loaded a Mini-Minion's boat model in Gazebo (a robot simulation environment) and they conducted virtual testing for autonomy tasks.
After adjusting the software as necessary for Gazebo, the team would load the software onto the ASV computers real-world testing. Reliability of the software was established through repeated testing in both virtual and on-water operations, ensuring a robust and well-developed code.
