Remote Controlled Tank with Sensor
My project is the RC tank with an autonomous routine.
Engineer
Kyle H.
Area of Interest
Electrical Engineering/ Software Engineering
School
Lynbrook High School
Grade
Rising Sophomore
Second Milestone
In the third milestone, I added 2 sensors in order to detect and avoid obstacles automatically. I used two ultrasonic sensors in order to detect how far objects are away from the front of the car. After the car detects an object 15 centimeters away from the car, if uses the other sensor to decide which way to turn. If the car detects an object to the right, it turns to the left. If it detects something to the left, it turns to the right. Some of the challenges I faced was that the car has big wheels and the sensor is in the center of the car, so it does not turn enough so that the entire car and go through the opening. I fixed this by making the car go just a bit more to account for the wheels.
Second Milestone
For my second milestone, I finished my main project with some fine tuned motor speeds and more advanced controls.
Turning in place: one side turns forward, one side turns backwards, depending on the direction the sides change
Turning while moving (not as refined due to the limited range/ accuracy of the PS2 and the DC motors): depending on input from PS2, on side turns slower, causing the tank to start towards one direction while still moving.
Forwards – Backwards: Because of the imperfections in the motors, I had to manually limit the speed of the motors in order for the car to drive straight
First Milestone
For my first milestone, I finished assembling the gearbox and the base, tested the wireless controller, and finished all the mechanical components of the car.
To attach the gearbox, arduino, and motor shield onto the car, I used a dremel tool to cut more holes into the chassis. Then I used those holes to attach the arduino, motor, and motor shield on the baseboard via nylon hex standoffs.
Also, gearbox was malfunctioning and not turning at the same rates, which I later discovered were caused by malfunctioning DC motors. I feel that the motors are still rotating at different rates so I must use software to ensure that the car is moving straight.
The Useless Machine
At the start, the project seemed really simple and I planned to finish it in just two to three hours. However, after finishing the soldering wiring of the components as well as getting the machine to work, I spent over an hour to build the box because the supporting tubes were not not threaded, forcing us to hand thread the loops. I think this experience gave me confidence to work on the main project, causing the main project to seem a lot more approachable and possible.
The limit switch is normally off so the circuit is not open. However, when you flip the switch, this causes the motor to turn counterclockwise, and after it moves until flipping the other switch, it causes the circuit to change, making it go counterclockwise until it hits the limit switch.