Logan Ranger Autonomous Vehicle Awarded LPEF Grant

We found out today that the AV project was awarded a grant by the La Crosse Public Education Foundation. The grant was written and submitted earlier this school year. We feel fortunate that organizations like the LPEF continue to support public education in the form of financing projects like the AV. Special thank you goes out to Randy Eddy whose generous donation makes this all possible and David Stoeffler from the LPEF.

Logan Digital Electronics Class Visits Trane's Plant 7

Students in Digital Electronics at Logan HS took part in a tour of Trane Plant 7 today. Scott and Lisa were our tour guides as we took a walk through the manufacturing plant. When we arrived, we were given a safety talk and loaned protective safety gear for the tour.

The students saw how raw materials were fabricated into the chillers that Trane is famous for. We saw CNC controlled welders as well as manual welding taking place. Safety was always a priority for the workers.

After the tour, students were invited to a question/answer session to wrap up the tour.

A big Logan thank you to Trane for the great tour!

Note: No pictures were allowed in the plant during the tour due to the sensitive nature of the manufacturing process.

Students getting geared up before the tour.

Students sitting down with Scott Seibert for a Q&A

Logan Autonomous Vehicle Route Research

Date: 9.16.15
Time: 10:50 AM
Location: South Side starting point at Trane Plant 4 and then on the roads the AV would be traveling on.

A series of still photos and a short video was taken of the route. The purpose of this is to allow the students to visualize the route and be able to go back and look at potential obstacles that our software would need to consider as the AV moves along the route.

Depending on the size/diameter of the AV's tires, this could be an obstacle.

This is the entry point to Plant 7. The AV would have to navigate this left turn in the center of the opening and then move left immediately to avoid parked vehicles get into the driving lane. The video will illustrate this. 

The link below will take you to the YouTube video of the route. Students edited the raw footage into the video you will see. As you watch it, note road conditions, obstacles, intersections, traffic, number of turns and turn radius, etc... The video was taken from the actual semi that travels the route 3 times a day. The distance of the route is approximately 1/2 of a mile.

Link to YouTube Video for AV Route
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYgyhIT1AEQ&feature=youtu.be

Date:9.18.15
Time: 9:44 AM
Participants: Logan HS DE Class

On Friday we had a class discussion with the goal of identifying the parameters of the Autonomous Vehicle challenge for all the students involved. No video of the route was available yet as it was still being edited. That footage will be posted soon to YouTube for students to view.

The discussion focused on what our overall objective was and what would be considered a success in the end. We have a lot of variables that have to be considered including the 1/2 mile distance the vehicle has to travel. Students began to brainstorm ideas that could be used. They were encouraged to not set their mind on one track until they could view the acutal route video to better visualize the problem.

We are looking for a donated RC vehicle that can be used for our electronics test bed. We will then scale the vehicle up in size.

Planning Meeting with Trane

During the summer of 2015, Trane Manufacturing Engineer, Greg Sutton and high school DE instructor Mr. Johnston. met to discuss the parameters of a project that students could partner with Trane to create.

The outcome of the meeting was a plan to design and build an Autonomous Vehicle that would travel from Plant 4 to Plant 7 on the Trane campus. Logan students in the PLTW-Digital Electronics and Robotics course would design and build the prototype. Trane would define the technical parameters. This prototype would of course not be a full sized vehicle but a scaled down model to fit within the budget and constraints of the project. The main purpose is to give students the design/engineering opportunity and experience working with a business partner like Trane.

Trane Plant 4

The distance between Plant 4 and Plant 7 is approximately 1/2 mile.

Trane Plant 7

Welcome to the Logan Ranger Autonomous Vehicle Blog

The Project Lead The Way- Digital Electronics class at Logan High School in La Crosse, Wisconsin, is partnering with Trane, a leading global provider of indoor comfort solutions and a brand of Ingersoll Rand, to design and build the Logan Ranger Autonomous Vehicle (AV), a vehicle capable of sensing its environment and navigating without human input.

AVs sense their surroundings with such techniques as radar, lasers, GPS, and computer vision. Advanced control systems interpret sensory information to identify appropriate navigation paths, as well as obstacles and relevant signage.

 The class will design, program and fabricate the AV with the following targeted goals:

1. Design and fabricate a vehicle which will autonomously drive from Trane Plant 4 (East Ave) to Trane Plant 7 (Losey Blvd)
2. Design the AV in such a way that a percentage of the transportation system will be powered by solar energy

The AV will be designed and fabricated at Logan High School. The target date for completion is summer 2016. Trane will provide technical support and help define the parameters of the project.

“Ingersoll Rand is committed to enriching science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education through educational programs and campaigns, employee volunteerism and other initiatives,” said Bob Ellis, plant manager of Trane in La Crosse. “We are excited to work with the students at Logan High School on this innovative project.”

About Logan High School

Logan High School is situated on a 32-acre site in the La Crosse River Valley and has 850 students grades 9-12 with 75 teachers and 15 departments (over 50% of the staff have masters degrees). The School District of La Crosse serves a population of 80,000 that includes the entire city of La Crosse, which has approximately 55,000 residents. https://www.lacrosseschools.org/logan-high

About Ingersoll Rand and Trane

Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR) advances the quality of life by creating comfortable, sustainable and efficient environments. Our people and our family of brands — including Club Car®, Ingersoll Rand®, Thermo King® and Trane® — work together to enhance the quality and comfort of air in homes and buildings; transport and protect food and perishables; and increase industrial productivity and efficiency. We are a $13 billion global business committed to a world of sustainable progress and enduring results. Trane solutions optimize indoor environments with a broad