A robotic training partner for track runners

Abstract

Typical training sessions of long-distance runners, both casual and professional, often include running at very specific paces for a certain distance or time intervals, in order to focus the training session on improving endurance or running power. Currently, runners keep track of their pace using equipment like a stopwatch or a GPS-enabled smartwatch, which provide the runner with a pace readout in real-time. However, it is well-known that a ‘physical’ pacer, also known as a rabbit, can be highly beneficial by providing a visual cue for the runner to follow at the desired pace. This can allow the runner to focus more on the running technique, or even act as an artificial competitor which can highly motivate the runner in demanding training sessions or time trials. A mobile robot can act as a physical pacer for a runner training on a running track. More specifically the mobile robot can employ a line-following system to follow one of the lines on a running track, and a speed control system to regulate its driving speed according to a custom running workout set by a user. Ultimately, the robot will act as a precise programmable ‘physical pacer’. In a previous project, an off-the-shelf electric remote-controlled model car was converted into a line-following robot using an infrared sensor array and a digital PID controller for closed loop steering control. This prototype robot was tested in controlled environments. The main objective of this dissertation is to build on the previous work to develop this robotic pacer by designing and adding a speed control system. This system makes use of an incremental encoder coupled to the drive shaft of the car to measure its translational speed, which is used as the feedback signal in a PID control loop to regulate the motor’s driving speed. Additionally, the robotic pacer was fitted with a Bluetooth module to facilitate wireless communication with a smartphone. The results obtained from tests performed on the speed control system contributed towards the understanding of the car’s speed response which can be used to improve the control systems and develop the robotic pacer prototype further in future works.