• Question: How did you make the maze solving robot

    Asked by 09austb1 to Usaid on 12 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: Usaid Rauf

      Usaid Rauf answered on 12 Mar 2012:

      I had a team and we worked together to build the robot. We decided to split up the different parts and work on things separately.

      The first person developed movement and driving mechanics, the second worked on sensors, the third programmed an algorithm and the fourth figured out how to integrate it all (make everything work together, not just separately).

      We used stepper motors to drive the robot; these things work by sending electronic pulse signals and each pulse corresponds to a degree of wheel rotation. For sensors, we used very simple infrared LED sensors which provided an on/off signal (on means there is a wall, off means there is a gap to travel through). We programmed the algorithm on a normal computer, downloaded it onto a microcontroller (tiny computer) and then installed this on the robot chassis. To integrate everything we had to think carefully about the various standards of communication we would use.

Comments

  • Photo: curtisr1

    curtisr1 commented on :

    Great answer. Our own group of year 11 students have recently taken part in a car challenge to build a robot and have qualified for the regional finals. They have enjoyed that work immensely and learnt so much.

    • Photo: Usaid

      Usaid commented on :

      That’s really cool. What Challenge is this? Is there a web site for it?

      I agree on the learning, but I didn’t just learn the hard engineering skills – I really developed my soft skills such as communication, teamwork and leadership. I learnt to trust others and settle arguments. I’m sure your Year 11s would probably feel similar.