Line/Wall Following Maze Solver
During our third semester, we embarked on an exciting journey into the world of robotics as part of the Robot Design and Competition module (EN2532). It was during this time that we designed our very first robot. Our project in this module encompassed not one, but two distinct robotic creations: a physical robot and its virtual counterpart. We succeeded in clinching the top position for our physical robot design. Throughout this journey, we developed our skills in robotics, programming, mechanical design, and teamwork.
Physical Robot Design
Our physical robot, equipped with an Arduino Mega, IR sensors, and Ultrasonic Sensors, was designed to have capabilities, including line following, Curved , Straight and Segmented wall following, location calculation, and maze solving. The following is the description of the tasks that our robot had to complete.
Task of the Physical Robot Competition
The robot's journey started from the initial white square, where it embarked on the maze exploration. The exploration phase concluded when the robot successfully reached the white checkpoint square on the opposite end of the maze.
After collecting data during the exploration stage, the robot was tasked with calculating the shortest path to return to the starting square from the checkpoint. Marks were allocated based on the robot's speed in completing this return journey.
Subsequently, the robot faced the challenge of navigating a curved wall. The robot's objective was to follow this curved wall while ensuring it did not cross or breach the red line boundary. Any infringement on the red line resulted in penalties. The blind box, marking the end of the wall, served as the entrance to the next stage.
Within the blind box, three openings awaited exploration: one entrance, one incorrect exit, and one correct exit. A line on the floor near the correct exit guided the robot's path. The robot was required to exit the blind box through the correct opening and subsequently follow the line to reach its final destination square. Any contact with the blind box walls, detectable through the motion of the box, incurred penalties.
Here is the video we recorded during the design task.
Virtual Robot Design
Our virtual robot, equipped with IR sensors, LASER, and Ultrasonic Sensors, was designed with a range of capabilities, including segmented and straight-line following, curved, straight, and segmented wall following, location calculation, color detection, and maze solving. Additionally, it was equipped with an arm capable of carrying a box. The arm and the robot were specially designed to carry a box on a 30-degree ramp while maintaining balance. The following is a description of the tasks that our robot had to complete.
Task of the Virtual Robot Competition
The journey commenced with the robot following a white line on a black surface, which could entail straight or curved segments.
Next, the robot faced the segmented wall following challenge, where it navigated walls with varying shapes, including straight and curved sections.
After successfully navigating the walls, the robot encountered a colored dotted line path, with two potential routes determined by the random color it received at the start of the competition. These paths featured both straight and curved dotted lines, ultimately leading to the chessboard area.
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Within the chessboard arena, the robot assumed the role of a black rook in a chess game. Its mission was to deliver checkmate in just one move, thereby unlocking the secret chamber door. The robot entered the chessboard via the a7 square, parallel to the rows of the chessboard. It had to pick up the black rook (black box) located on a7 square and find the single move that achieved checkmate, all without prior knowledge of the chess game position.
Once the robot successfully identified the square for checkmate, it had to place the rook on that square to open the chamber door. The door remained open as long as the rook occupied the checkmating square. Inside the chamber, the robot utilized two boxes to fill gaps it would later encounter.
It's important to note that the robot was prohibited from entering the red carpet area until it had delivered checkmate. However, after completing this task, it could move freely within the chessboard arena without colliding with chess pieces.
After successfully opening the secret chamber, the robot faced the challenge of transporting two roadblocks to the bridge. The bridge had two breaks with holes on either side, and the robot's objective was to place the roadblocks to cover these holes, allowing it to pass through safely. Upon achieving this, the robot proceeded to its final destination square, concluding the task. We choose to configure the sensor and motor parameters in Webots to match real-world values in order to achieve a greater level of realism.
Unfortunately, due to the time constraints we faced, we were only able to design our robot to navigate until the chessboard task.