SENSOR SYSTEMS – Assignment #4 Tips

Beforehand, the given assignment text is:

Lab Assignment #4: Design and manufacture a prototype of a simple differential drive mobile robot and add
obstacle avoidance function
• Design a simple differential drive mobile platform. Two wheels of platform should be motorized (DC Motors)
and at least one wheel should be a caster.
• Add an H bridge setup (you may use ready mate modules) for each module to control wheel motors.
• Add necessary modules like battery and make necessary modification on chassis concerning proceeding
tasks.
• Test maneuvering capabilities of your mobile robot.
• Develop an obstacle avoidance algorithm to Arduino. The number of sensors and positioning is up to you to
decide and design.
• Obstacle avoidance test is performed in a closed area (you can look for how it should perform from the
internet). If an obstacle is detected, the robot should turn to the side where an object is unavailable, or the
object is farther than the other side object.

Some highlights for the assignment are listed below (the list is sequenced randomly for the assignment steps, so you
should read the whole list first to cover up the process steps):

• The provided photos are taken from previous years, and they are provided to enlighten for the structure of
the model. However, the included components in the photos does not mean that they are the right ones. For
the mechanism and steps, there are multiple ways to overcome.
• Some of the robot photos are given from the assignment next in line, and some are given in low quality
photos taken from screenshots. Depending on the structure, the algorithm may also differ. Besides, some of
the assignment criteria are different this year.
• It is free to use a ready-to-use chassis for the robot.
• L298N motor driver is recommended (two H-bridge motor drivers on single chip).
• It is free to use breadboard for connections but not recommended.
• Beware of the batteries since the cheaper batteries may run out of charge quickly, you may have at least a
spare battery during the demo, or you may work with a power supply (a basic DC voltage source, e.g., 9V or
12V adaptor) during your development phases (a cable with proper length is recommended).
• Any DC motors is OK as long as it works. You may also lower your PWM signal duty cycle if your motors, i.e.,
your wheels, are too fast.
• For distance measurement, you can use any combination. Popular distance sensors are Ultrasonic sensors
and Sharp Distance Sensors (“Sharp” is brand name of the sensor). For many reasons (with advantages and
disadvantages), an auxiliary motion may be provided to the sensor using a hobby servo motor.
• Beware that distance sensors have dead zones (for this assignment, lower dead zones should be considered)
where the sensor does not generate a correlated output.
• Be sure that all the components can be all mounted to your Arduino at the same time (some Arduino models
have limited pins/customized pin sets, and your sensors/motors/pins may exceed its limits).
• The system is tested inside a ring which is formed by cardboard boxes. The path can be reshaped depending
on the programmed parameters. Since the test course is not gigantic, keep your obstacle avoidance distance
value at proper levels.
• The assignment evaluation includes some subtests of your algorithm and base robot behaviors.