Project Artemis

Inspiration

We were inspired by the idea of blending robotics, AI, and interactive systems to create something both fun and technically challenging. The concept of a smart Nerf gun turret came from a mix of sci-fi influences and a desire to apply our skills in real-time systems, machine learning, and embedded programming in a creative way.

What it does

Project Artemis is an autonomous Nerf gun turret that can detect and identify human faces using a custom-trained face recognition model. It features:

Voice command activation via the Google Voice Recognition API.
Manual control with a PS4 controller using the SDL2 library.
Serial communication to interact with hardware components.
Patrol mode, where the turret scans its environment for targets.
Autonomous firing when a recognized face or target is detected.

How we built it

We developed Project Artemis using:

C++ as the main programming language.
CMake for project configuration and building.
vcpkg to manage C++ libraries.
Custom face recognition model, trained using OpenCV.
Google Speech-to-Text API for voice control.
SDL2 for PS4 controller input.
Serial communication libraries to interact with the turret's hardware. We tied everything together into a multi-threaded system that handles input, processing, and actuation in real-time.

Challenges we ran into

Integrating multiple subsystems (voice, vision, control, and hardware) and managing concurrency was tricky.
Training the face recognition model to perform reliably under different lighting and angles.
Tuning the servo controls to move the turret smoothly and accurately.
Serial communication bugs, especially syncing messages across different hardware platforms.
Latency issues in real-time recognition and response.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Building a fully functional AI-powered Nerf turret from scratch.
Successfully integrating face and voice recognition in a real-time C++ system.
Achieving smooth and responsive manual + autonomous turret control.
Creating an immersive experience with patrol mode and intelligent targeting.## What we learned

What's next for Project Artemis

Implementing target vs non-target classification to avoid firing on authorized individuals.
Upgrading to a more powerful onboard computer.
Adding web or mobile control interfaces.
Integrating object tracking and predictive targeting.
Improving the voice interface to understand more complex commands.