Senior Project... Building an Arduino-based robot

Thread Starter

notoriusjt2

Joined Feb 4, 2010
209
I am very excited about this project! I have to build a robot from scratch. The robot has to perform the following automatically.

1.)Detect a light source and travel toward it, eventually reaching the light source.
2.)While traveling, detect any obstacles or walls that may be in the way and correctly navigate around them.
3.)any time the robot enters a small area marked off by tape, the professor will sound a smoke alarm (common household smoke alarm). At that time the robot must sense the audible alarm...stop...back up and go around the taped area.

I have purchased a couple products already for this project. I have the Ardunio Uno micro controller.

my first question is for the object detection... I purchased the Sharp IR sensor 10-80cm. Would I be better off with one of these on the front of my robot on a rotating axis? or with two of these mounted on either side of the robot? Im thinking with two of these I could almost triangulate the actual distance to the objects and react accordingly.

This is my first robot project, so if I should be thinkin in another direction please let me know.
 

hgmjr

Joined Jan 28, 2005
9,027
You're off to a roaring great start. Have you selected your motors? That will determine the motor driver solution.

hgmjr
 

thatoneguy

Joined Feb 19, 2009
6,359
You need to build it in modules rather than the whole thing at once.

Build a line following/line avoidance robot for the taped off areas.

Use a CdS (Photo-Resistor) to detect the light source, photodiodes/phototransistors are more sensitive to the Red/IR range than white light. This will give the general direction to go.

Obstacle avoidance: Sharp IR Rangefinders to avoid walls.

Piezo buzzer input to alert when whistle is blown and act accordingly with the line routine.

Then, smash it all together, debug it, and you are good to go.
 

hgmjr

Joined Jan 28, 2005
9,027
notoriousjt2,

I added the words "arduino-based" to your thread title to help other arduino knowledgeable members to find your thread.

hgmjr
 

Thread Starter

notoriusjt2

Joined Feb 4, 2010
209
You're off to a roaring great start. Have you selected your motors? That will determine the motor driver solution.

hgmjr
I purchased this tranny/motor combo, not really know what I was getting into. It looks like a good setup however the motor voltage is 1.5V. My arduino board will be running at 5V so I will need another voltage regulator.

http://www.robotshop.com/tamiya-twin-motor-gearbox.html
 

Thread Starter

notoriusjt2

Joined Feb 4, 2010
209
You need to build it in modules rather than the whole thing at once.

Build a line following/line avoidance robot for the taped off areas.

Use a CdS (Photo-Resistor) to detect the light source, photodiodes/phototransistors are more sensitive to the Red/IR range than white light. This will give the general direction to go.

Obstacle avoidance: Sharp IR Rangefinders to avoid walls.

Piezo buzzer input to alert when whistle is blown and act accordingly with the line routine.

Then, smash it all together, debug it, and you are good to go.
any good online sources for how to construct that Piezo buzzer input? I did a google search and just came up with what looks like outputs
 

thatoneguy

Joined Feb 19, 2009
6,359
Knock Sensor w/Arduino

I'm thinking of adding a lot of amplification to it, e.g. hooked up to an op-amp/comparator much the way a photosensor is, when a signal is strong enough, +5 is the output of the comparator, when the signal isn't, the output is 0v.

An electret microphone will work as well, depending on the frequency of the sound.
 

Thread Starter

notoriusjt2

Joined Feb 4, 2010
209
Knock Sensor w/Arduino

I'm thinking of adding a lot of amplification to it, e.g. hooked up to an op-amp/comparator much the way a photosensor is, when a signal is strong enough, +5 is the output of the comparator, when the signal isn't, the output is 0v.

An electret microphone will work as well, depending on the frequency of the sound.
Thanks I will definitely try the Piezo out.
 

Thread Starter

notoriusjt2

Joined Feb 4, 2010
209
This may be a little hard to explain but this is how my design is going.

I need to find some type of material (PVC maybe) that is rigid but can be formed into design I want it to.


The red lines that look like eyes are going to be the infrared detectors

yea crappy drawing I know.

I want to have a shell over the robot with the back open
Then a microswitch on each side
Then another shell over the microswitches.

Is this feasible? if so what material could I use? PVC? how many times can I heat that up and bend it before it gets brittle?
 

Kermit2

Joined Feb 5, 2010
4,162
You want ABS plastic. I don't know if it has a transparent form though. If you need clear and low temp formable, I think PET is probably the best one to use.

Check out Mcmaster.com for a good selection and glossary of types.
 
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