e-puck robot with VL53L0X time of flight sensor

The video demonstrates position control of an e-puck robot in longitudinal axis based on readings from STMicroelectronics VL53L0X time of flight laser-ranging sensor. Pi-puck (extension by the University of York) with Raspberry Pi is used for gathering of the experimental data.
The sensor was retrofitted into the original e-puck robot, which is governed by 16-bit dsPIC30F6014A microcontroller, extending its capabilities. e-puck has been designed by GCtronic and École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland. It has been featured in over than 80 various journal and conference publications and is accepted by the robotics community as the standard platform for demonstration and studying of bio-inspired swarm behaviour in heterogeneous and homogenous packs of wheeled mobile robots. e-puck2 (the new model) has the sensor already integrated into its design. The sensor itself has been present on the market for a couple of years. It employs Single Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPAD) array. Its accuracy, small package, low price and safety to the eye (class 1 laser) make it a suitable solution for control of small robots used in domestic settings as well as personal care robots.
The presented recording documents a robot under control of a purely proportional controller (P term in the PID controller) of position (distance) measured from a vertically flat target (55 mm wide and 110 mm tall). The set point is chosen arbitrarily to be 150 mm. Raw, unfiltered sensor readings are used as a feedback signal to the controller. The selected structure of the controller, under absence of filtering of the measurements of the controlled variable, and with the rigid dynamics of the stepper motors, show fundamental performance of the sensor. Timing budget for the sensor has been chosen to be approx. 100 ms. The target has a displayed QR code, black on a white background. During the test, infrared-sensing photodiodes and infrared light-emitting diodes were in normal operation allowing for detection of obstacles. Performance of the VL53L0X, which functions on 940 nm wavelength light, was not affected.
Pi-puck extension board v2.0, developed at the University of York Robotics Laboratory, extends functionality of the e-puck with capabilities of Raspberry Pi (model 3A+). In the setup, it allows for acquisition of measured distance in real-time into a file, while all the sensor and actuator management, and control algorithm execution are performed on the dsPIC microcontroller.
e-puck webpage:
www.e-puck.org/
University of York, Robotics Laboratory pi-puck webpage:
www.york.ac.uk/robot-lab/pi-p...
Sensor manufacturer product webpage
www.st.com/en/imaging-and-pho...
Sensor kit webpage:
www.pololu.com/product/2490