MathWorks Minidrone Competition 2024 - India

Competition: India 2024 | Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

This project is a submission for the MathWorks Minidrone Competition 2024, where we developed an autonomous minidrone line follower using Model-Based Design techniques. The goal of the competition was to build a simulation-based solution that could be extended to a real-world application.

Project Overview

In this project, we focused on Round 1: Simulation, which involved developing algorithms for:

• Path Planning
• Image Processing
• Control Systems

Our approach centered around the use of the Bresenham's Line Algorithm for efficient path drawing and image processing.

Simulation Environment

Line following algorithm based on Bresenham's line algorithm and circle detection with brute force technique.

Key Features

• Path Planning: Used Bresenham’s line algorithm for determining optimal paths in the drone's field of view.
• Image Processing: Leveraged the Computer Vision Toolbox for detecting and following the line in simulation.
• Control Systems: Designed control strategies to guide the minidrone along the detected path.

Tools and Technologies

• MATLAB & Simulink
• Computer Vision Toolbox
• Bresenham’s Line Algorithm: Implemented to approximate straight lines for the line-following feature.
• Model-Based Design: Developed simulation models for path planning and control.

Algorithm Description: Bresenham's Line Algorithm

Bresenham’s line algorithm is a rasterization algorithm used to determine the pixels that form a straight line between two points. It’s efficient due to the use of only integer addition, subtraction, and bit-shifting operations, making it computationally inexpensive. We also implemented the midpoint circle algorithm to detect circular shapes that might be encountered during path planning.

How to Run

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/minidrone-line-follower.git

2. Open MATLAB and navigate to the project directory.
3. Open the Simulink model minidrone_line_follower.slx.
4. Run the simulation to observe the minidrone following the line in the virtual environment.

Future Work

• Real-time implementation on a physical minidrone.
• Improved obstacle detection using advanced image processing techniques.
• Enhanced control systems for dynamic environments.

Contributors

• Vishal - Team Leader
• Jaswanth
• Rohit Tanga
• Rohan titus