Academic

SCUTTLE Collector / Dog V2

I used the open SCUTTLE robotics platform developed at Texas A&M as the foundation for a golf-ball collector. My work involved camera and lidar inputs, object detection, and navigation. We called the robot Dog V2; it is separate from the Dog V3 quadruped.

Front view of the SCUTTLE golf ball collector with a Dog V2 sign on its lidar mast. — SCUTTLE, nicknamed Dog V2, with its collector, electronics and raised lidar mount.

Starting from SCUTTLE

The project built on the existing SCUTTLE teaching platform and its shared hardware/software infrastructure. That provided a foundation for the collector and its sensing and motion work.

Finding and approaching a ball

I worked on using the camera and lidar for golf-ball detection, navigation, and collision avoidance. The robot carried a front collection mechanism and a raised SICK TiM561 lidar; the floor clip shows it driving and turning near a ball.

Technical details

Foundation: Texas A&M-origin SCUTTLE open robotics platform.
Sensor inputs: Camera and SICK TiM561 lidar.
Project work: Golf-ball detection, navigation, and a front collection mechanism.

A closer look

Classroom collection and navigation test.

Hallway collection test — no audio.

Dog V2 driving and turning during a golf-ball test.