mechatronic robots

robotics

PID control

Python

Mechatronics

SELF BALANCING ROBOT

As a group project, we created a self balancing robot using a PID controlling system. Using an accelerometer and a gyroscope, we controlled two 12V DC motors to self balance when the robot leans forward or backwards.

The Robot’s component parts consist of a basic microcontroller coded in python, an OLED display screen, a speaker module, Bluetooth module, motor controlling module, a potentiometer and a breadboard.

The Robot can also dance to music as it uses a High Pass frequency and energy spectrum analysis on Matlab to detect the general beat (video) and rhythm of the song, and with programmed dance moves, the robot dances.

The robot can also be controlled remotely using an app called bluefruit available on most smartphones. This allows full manual drive of the robot.

Overall the project utilised python coding knowledge with OLED displays and Matlab sound analysis to perform various tasks involving the control of two DC motors. The robot is entirely battery powered and portable, and can balance due to analysed readings from an accelerator and gyroscope, giving the robot a means to self adjust.

The tasks for the robot were to:

1. Self navigate through a maze

2. Be controlled via bluetooth

3. Detect different signal sources (Hall effect + Infrared)

4. Having a firing mechanism for ping pong balls (black tubes)

The chosen firing mechanism included a controlled servo motor with pieces MDF attached to the end, retracting rubber bands which then could be released by lowering the servo motor angle.

Overall the project utilised python coding for the self driving feature as well as servo motor controlling. The infrared sensors detect any objects in front of the robot, allowing the robot to make a course adjustment and attempt another path at a different angle.

This robot is again fully battery powered and portable and was a group project between 4 people where I focused on the build as well as the coding of the robot.

SELF DRIVING ROBOT

Using Mechatronics and python, this self driving robot can navigate through a maze, detecting objects emitting different signals, as well as fire ping pong balls as a defence mechanism towards enemies. The robot is controlled by two 5V dc motors, and completely battery powered.

The actual robot was built with a tapered sheet of white acrylic and pinned onto a base MDF plate which securely houses the electronics, the servo motors (for the sensors to extend), a back wheel, as well as a battery.