Exploration 1: Motors and Sensors
PURPOSE:
The main goal of this exploration was to learn how to use the proper motor and sensors to move the robot, detect light and turn.
SUMMARY AND RESULTS:
At the beginning of the exploration the team analyzed how the light sensor worked. It was determined that a value closer to 0 meant the sensor was fully ingulfed in light. Additionally, the team was able to use filters to determine the color of light. Using this knowledge, the team was able to control a servo motor that would move based on the amount of light within the sensor. The final element of the exploration was using the bump sensors to sense when the Crayola bot ran into a wall, then turn from that information. This section was successful as we were able to fully complete the maze.
APPLICATIONS:
This exploration was helpful to give us the fundamental base of movement. The course starts with light detection and now the team has the knowledge to detect the light and its color to start the course. Then the robot will be able to move as well as turn to get from place to place if we use the bump sensors. This movement system is unreliable and most likely will not be used in the final project. The most important part of the exploration was learning about light detection. This comes into play with the ticket kiosk. The robot will need to detect either red or blue light and click the proper button. This would not be possible without the knowledge gained from this exploration.
Furthermore, the team was able to overcome some logical coding errors and learn the proper way to code the motors and sensors. This will be important in the future as we will know how to solve future problems.
Exploration 2: Line Following and Shaft Encoding
PURPOSE:
The team was tasked with using sensors to follow different types of lines as well as using shaft encoding to drive and turn. The purpose of this is to give examples of different navigational methods for the team’s robot. The ending project will have a robot complete a complex navigational challenge and do additional tasks.
SUMMARY AND RESULTS:
This exploration allowed the team to learn 2 essential methods to move the robot. Both will be applied to the course. By using shaft encoding the robot will be able to drive up the ramp and most forward motions. Shaft encoding also provides a method to turn the robot. For line following, the team identified that the robot should always have a sensor on the line, this ensures that the robot always can identify the line and know which direction to turn. This exploration was a bit of a challenge as the robot’s middle sensor value was too high which resulted in the robot never being able to get out of the left or right case, so the robot would just spin in a circle.
APPLICATIONS:
There are numerous lines that can be used to position the robot and for these lines, using the sensors are crucial to properly position the robot, specifically when the robot needs to be positioned over the light for the ticket kiosk. Shaft encoding will be the primary method of moving the robot in a direction. The team can measure the distance the robot will have to travel and do calculations to accurately move the robot.
Exploration 3: RPS
PURPOSE
The purpose of this exploration was to learn how to navigate with the RPS system and to determine if it is a reliable method for navigation in the robot project.
SUMMARY AND RESULTS
During the exploration, the team learned how to use the RPS system and identified its issues. The team concluded that RPS is not suitable for navigation due to its slowness and unreliability. This exploration led to the discovery of an edge case when using RPS to turn, as there is no 360 angles, it resets to 0. This requires strange logic to make the robot turn properly.
The exploration also provided a way to identify the robot using a QR code mounted 9 inches above the course, which will allow for the use of a kill switch to instantly stop a run and provide the position of the proper fuel lever.
APPLICATIONS
Based on the results of this exploration, the team will not use RPS for navigation but may use it for obtaining the correct fuel lever position. Shaft encoding and bump switches will be used for robot movement. The team will not use data logging but may consider using it if RPS is used in the future. The QR code identification method will be implemented to allow for a kill switch to be used to stop a run and provide the robot’s position.