Day 11: Line sensor and fire sensor

Today, I had to solder wires together for the line sensor. Next I installed a line sensor and fire sensor on the robot. I then begin to test each sensor to make sure they worked. After that, we programmed the robot to stop on a black line and detect the radiation from a candle and move towards it.

Soldering the wires for line sensor

Testing the Line Sensor

Fire Sensor and Line sensor installed

Robot performing line and flame sense test

Day 10: Encoders

Today, I learned about using an encoder to make the robot go a certain distance. The encoder works by counting how many of its gears go by. I had to calculate the circumference of the wheels and use a simple formula in order to know how many ticks the encoder would have to go for 12 feet and to make a left and right 90 degree turn. Last we had to program the robot to go through the maze we had it go through on day 9 but with using the encoders. Doing this was much easier and more accurate than the previous method of running the motor for a certain period to go a specified distance. Unfortunately it took us the whole class period to program and run the robot with the encoder so only one team was able to negotiate the maze.

Robot with the encoders attached

Navigating with encoders on

Day 9: vexduino and maze

Today, I soldered the components together for a Vexduino board. This allows me to control vex motors, etc with Arduino. I found out who I would be working with for the final project. We worked on programming our robot to navigate a basic maze shape. We had to make the motor run for a certain time in order to get it to go the distance we wanted. This task was tedious because we had to keep experimenting with the time in order to get as close as possible.

Vexduino board

robot with vexduino attached

maze for robot to navigate

Day 8: servo control and sound

Today, I learned how to make a potentiometer rotate a servo to a certain degree based off of the position of the potentiometer. Next I learned how to make arduino produce different tones and noises through a piezo sounder.

Controlling a servo by the position of a potentiometer

Working on lighting a LED to the tempo of a tune Arduino is playing

Day 7: Bi-polar motor

Today, I finally got the bi-polar circuit to work using Arduino. It works by driving the motor in one direction then reverses the polarity using a relay and drives the motor in the other direction. After I got done with that, I worked on my toy project.

Bi-Polar motor circuit

Day 6: Darlington and driving motors

Today, we learned how to use the 2N3904 transistor and 1N4001 transistor to light a Christmas light, next we made a Darlington circuit to drive the motor of our toys. We learned about the TIP120 transistor and that it has a Darlington circuit built inside of it.

Using the 2N3904 transistor to drive the light.

Darlington circuit to drive light and put a higher resistor to dim light.

Driving the light with a TIP120 transistor.

Day 5: Continuation of arduino and beginning of hacking toy.

Today, I was able to finish a couple circuits dealing with Arduino acting as a switch to turn a led on and off and using a light dependent resistor to control the behavior of two leds using "if then" commands. Last, I was finally able to start hacking a mechatronic toy to be controlled by Arduino and do things it was not purposed to do.

Learning the program code of arduino to act as a digital switch.

using a photoresistor to turn on or off an led based off of amount of light

Only the yellow led is on at medium light

Only the red led is on at low light

Both leds are off at no light levels

In the process of hacking toy