UNO
Photo Journal
We started our Arduino unit with a basic game on an LCD screen controlled by a singular button.
We later upped our button game with a Simon-Says-style activity.
Our Arduino Leonardo project changed everything with a new form of interaction with the machine. Now, by simply connecting the ground wire to the subject, we can "complete the circuit" by tapping the water to make noise.
For the Autonomous Car bot, we began with a basic foundation centralized around the idea of two front wheels and a ball and socket
After the base was built, the wiring began. With the help of two continuous rotation servo motors, the bot would soon walk.
Next came the general lay out of the bot (minus the wheels), but we had a minor problem: where to put the battery pack.
Going back to the drawing board we realized that we could simply put the battery pack under the Arduino and bread board. The way to attach them to the battery pack while still being able to easily access the batteries later was still undecided.
The attachment of the wheels onto the continuous rotation servo motors came next.
A new general layout of our bot was conceived. This version included the crucial battery pack so needless to say, it was an improvement. But we still had to figure out how to attach the Arduino board and the bread board to the bot with easy access to the batteries if need be.
The ultrasonic sensor was added at an angle at which it could easily sense objects in front of it from a safe distance.
Finally the idea on how to attach the Arduino and bread boards came: a door (sort of).
By creating makeshift hinges out of zip ties and wire, I created the door out of a small foam panel.
By attaching it to a Lego piece, it was now capable of being attached to the bot itself.
When closed, the Arduino and bread boards would be attached to the top.
When access to the batteries is necessary, we simply open the door!
The following is the final product "pre-hack":
The ultrasonic sensor sends out the initial sound wave and picks up the returning one that bounces off the object in front of it. When this signal is received, the bot knows to stop, back up, rotate, and continue on its way (all with an LED flashing to indicate the change in course!).
Next came the hack... I added an Anglerfish-style LED in the front with a photoresistor. The photoresistor senses the change in surrounding light and is programmed to react by either turning the light on (when it is dark) or by turning the light off (when it is light).
Public Product
Want to build your own bot like ours? Check out this link!
Robotics Analysis
I do believe that the Autonomous Car is a "robot." It interacts with its surroundings and reacts with a pre-programmed response. It "carries out a complex series of actions automatically", thus by definition it is a robot. When we placed objects (such as our feet) in front of the bot, it quickly reacted with the programmed response. In the obstacle course it fared well against the surrounding blocks and had no trouble avoiding any obstructions.
I would like to continue incorporating the Arduino Leonardo in future robotics projects. I believe it is a major game-changer in the way I now think of robot-human interaction. For example, special needs children will now be able to interact with either robotic contraptions or what we take as basic usage contraptions (such as laptops).