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Page 108 - Toucpad robotics C11
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    21 st   #Coding & Computational Thinking
                          project 1                                                  Century   #Experiential learning
                                                                                      Skills
                                                         The Autonomous Delivery Robot
                      Objective: Design and build a mobile robot that can navigate a simple indoor environment (e.g., a classroom or
                      corridor), avoid obstacles, and autonomously deliver a small item from a starting point to a pre-defined destination.
                      Steps of the Solution:
                      1.  Project Planning & Design (Project Management):
                         ∑   Define the Scope: Specify the robot's size, the maximum payload, its speed, and the complexity of the
                             environment (e.g., a flat surface with static obstacles).
                         ∑   Component Selection (Power, Brain, Senses, Muscles):
                                 Brain: Choose a microcontroller (like an Arduino Mega) or a Single Board Computer (like a Raspberry
                             §
                                 Pi 4) as the central processing unit.
                             §     Senses: Select ultrasonic sensors for obstacle avoidance and wheel encoders for tracking distance
                                 travelled.
                             §   Muscles: Choose two Direct Current motors with gearboxes for the drive wheels and a servo motor
                                 for a simple gripper or a lifting mechanism.
                             §   Power: Select a suitable Lithium-ion battery for its high energy density to power the robot.
                         ∑   Frame & Wheels: Design the chassis (frame) using lightweight materials like acrylic or MDF. Choose
                             standard wheels for the drive and a castor wheel for balance.
                      2.  Hardware Assembly & Wiring:
                         ∑   Build the Chassis: Cut the chosen material and assemble the chassis.
                         ∑   Mount Components: Securely mount the motors, sensors, battery, and microcontroller to the chassis.
                         ∑   Wiring: Connect all the components to the microcontroller. This includes wiring the motors through a
                             motor driver (a separate circuit that amplifies the microcontroller's low-power signals to drive the motors),
                             connecting the ultrasonic sensors, and wiring the servo motor.
                      3.  Programming & Control (Fundamentals, Logic, Systems):
                         ∑   Basic Movement: Write basic code to control the Direct Current motors for forward, backward, left, and
                             right movements.
                         ∑   Sensor Integration: Write code to read data from the ultrasonic sensors. Use Boolean operators to create
                             simple decision logic. For example, IF (front_sensor_distance < THRESHOLD) THEN (stop_and_turn).
                         ∑   Navigation Algorithm: Implement a simple algorithm for autonomous navigation.
                             §   Step 1: Move forward.
                             §   Step 2: Continuously check for obstacles using the front ultrasonic sensor.
                             §   Step 3:  If an obstacle is detected, stop, check the left and right sensors to find a clear path, and turn
                                       in that direction.
                             §   Step 4: Repeat the process until the robot reaches its destination.
                         ∑   Object Delivery: Program the servo motor to activate at the destination point to either lift or drop the item.
                      4.  Debugging & Testing (Ensuring Performance):
                         ∑   Unit Testing: Test each component individually. Ensure the ultrasonic sensors provide accurate readings
                             and that the motors spin correctly.
                         ∑   Integration Testing: Test the entire system. Place the robot in a test environment with a simple obstacle
                             course and run the code to ensure the navigation algorithm works as expected.
                         ∑   Performance  Testing: Measure  the  robot's  accuracy  in reaching the  destination and its  efficiency  in
                             avoiding obstacles.

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                  Touchpad Robotics - XI

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