Autonomous Rover

WHAT

• Rover autonomously follows a black line ending at a perpendicular black strip.

• Rover must then autonomously drive to a colored, cylindrical object in the field of view of the rover's camera ahead and actuate a mechanism to grab onto it.

• Maximum size: 12" x 16", including wheels and claw mechanism.

HOW

• Designed a servo-powered claw mechanism in SolidWorks and 3D printed it.

• Worked closely with another student to design, program, and troubleshoot a line-tracking algorithm in Arduino IDE.

  • Implemented differential drive for steering, with a front caster wheel and two DC motors actuating respective independently driven rear wheels at different speeds/directions.

  • Calibrated the sensitivities of three infrared sensors spaced apart on the bottom of the rover and programmed conditions for combinations of readings to detect how far the rover strayed from the black tape.

RESULTS

• Successfully completed all aspects of the course (line-tracking, color detection, claw actuation) in 24.6 seconds.

• Efficient troubleshooting process due to our modular chassis and code design, allowing for us to easily remove and inspect individual electrical components without disrupting the overall performance of the rover.