Project: BoomBa Recon Bot (CprE 288)

·1 min read

Overview

CprE 288 is an embedded systems course focused on programming iRobot Roomba robots. For the final project, our team simulated a military reconnaissance scenario — we converted a Roomba into a recon bot that could autonomously scout a room and detect objects on the field.

The idea was to use a common, unassuming cleaning robot as a low-risk reconnaissance tool for building inspection, with a "last resort" option built in (hence the name BoomBa).

My Contribution

I worked on mapping out the robot's behavior, developing movement algorithms, and testing the embedded code on the physical BoomBa. I also helped build the user interface for controlling and monitoring the bot.

What I Learned

  • Writing C for embedded microcontrollers
  • Understanding how source code interacts with physical hardware
  • User interface development for embedded systems
  • Team-based embedded development workflows

Tech Stack

C, embedded microcontrollers, iRobot Create platform