This is the third Bot Im going to build, I got this circuit from a thread another user had made. http://www.streettech.com/robotbook/circuitMousey.html

I know little about these stuff since I don't take any classes related to any of this. This may seem like a stupid question, but is a pot in the diagram needed? If so, where do I connect it to and what type of pot does it need to be?

One more question, what does the horse shoe-like symbol next to the 1k resistor stand for?

 

It is best if you build the circuit the way it is designed. Once you get it working you can then do experimenting with the omission of components.

As for the omega Ω symbol, it stands for Ohms.

hgmjr

 

That seems to be an adaptation from the original Herbie Photovore circuit.

The original didn't have a relay.

I really don't think much about the circuit that you linked to. It won't work as well as the original.

Look for the original circuit on Google. It had an LM386 amplifier, a couple of motors, a couple of photosensors, a 47k resistor on one side and a single pot on the other side. Very simple, and it works.

 

Here's a link to a photo of the original Herbie Photovore's schematic:
http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6820&d=1233016040

Here's a thread where it was being discussed:
http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/showthread.php?t=22060