System Progress
This week we completed our final presentation and transitioned into the final testing and validation phase of TrashDash. The system is fully integrated, and we have verified that core functionalities including voice activation, gesture recognition, motor control, and obstacle avoidance—work together in a complete pipeline. We are now focusing on robustness and demo readiness. I am primarily responsible for the demo poster and edge-case testing to ensure reliability under non-ideal conditions.
System Design & Changes
The overall system architecture remains unchanged, but we identified a key limitation in the power subsystem. The current onboard battery cannot reliably support simultaneous operation of the camera and ToF sensors, preventing fully untethered operation. In response, we are exploring higher-capacity battery options and software-level optimizations such as reducing sensor load and managing duty cycles. A fallback option using external power is also prepared for demo stability.
Testing & Verification
We conducted both unit testing and system-level testing:
- Unit Tests
- Voice Module: Verified wake word and stop command detection across varying distances and noise levels (met latency and accuracy targets in controlled settings).
- Gesture Recognition: Tested detection of thumbs-up (move) and fist (stop) under different lighting conditions; performance degrades slightly in low light.
- Motor Subsystem: Validated movement commands (forward, backward, turning, rotation) and confirmed stable response from the motor driver.
- ToF Sensors: Tested obstacle detection at different distances; confirmed correct triggering of avoidance logic.
- System-Level Tests
- End-to-end pipeline: voice → gesture → motion → obstacle avoidance → stop/resume
- Edge-case scenarios: low lighting, delayed commands, cluttered environments, and continuous operation
Findings & Design Changes
- Power limitation is the main bottleneck → investigating stronger batteries and power optimization.
- Slight degradation in vision performance under low light → considering parameter tuning and controlled demo environment.
- System latency and responsiveness meet requirements under normal conditions → no major redesign needed.
- Added fallback strategies (external power, controlled demo setup) to ensure reliability.
Risk & Mitigation
The primary risk is system instability due to insufficient power during full operation. Mitigation includes upgrading the power supply, optimizing component usage, and preparing a wired fallback for the demo. Additional risks include edge-case failures in perception, which are being addressed through targeted testing and controlled demo conditions.
Next Week’s Plan
Next week, we will finalize testing, stabilize the power system, and complete the demo setup. I will finalize the demo poster and continue edge-case validation. The goal is to deliver a smooth, reliable demonstration that clearly showcases all core features of TrashDash.