Robot for Detection and Detonation of Landmines

For my final project for mechatronics, my class was tasked with each designing and building an autonomous machine to accomplish a task in two weeks using readily accessible materials (cardboard, wood, Legos, etc.).  I chose to build a vehicle that could detect and detonate landmines in order to guide a single human user safely through a minefield. In order to accomplish this, it had to move, detect metal, drop a weight, retract it, and signal the user that a landmine was about to be detonated so they could be a safe distance away. 

To accomplish these goals within the time constraints, the robot was restricted to one custom fabricated mechanism. This mechanism raised and lowered the weight by using a custom worm drive gearbox made from wood, an Erector set gear, and a customized bolt. Movement was powered by two motors on the front wheels (which were custom designed and 3D printed), and steering was accomplished by changing the Pulse Width Modulation on each wheel. All components, including the sensors and LEDs, were powered and controlled using an Arduino unit.