i am required to build a robot that sorts 3 different sized balls (and different color) and group two of the types together. after the sorting process the robot is required to travel in a certain path and dump the first type in a container 200mm high off the ground then travel to the next location and dump the other two balls into a container 400 mm high. this needs to be completely autonomous. can i get advice or help with this project. struggling engineering student.
Engineers_Australia_Warman_Competition_Rules_2017-Ver1.0 (1).pdf (6.13 MB)
Hi,
The best way to go about this would be to start by breaking down the task into sub-tasks (manageable chunks), such as “sorting the balls”, “moving”, “detecting walls”, “detecting edges of track segments”, etc.
Once you have identified all the different challenges that you mush solve to complete the competition task, you can then start developing solutions for each of those sub-tasks.
Things you will most likely need: proximity sensors (for detecting walls), edge detectors (to prevent falling off), color sensor (for ball identification) and plenty of hardware (such as brackets), motors, motor drivers, etc. and a microcontroller board of some kind. You can find all the sensor categories here.
Good luck!
Sincerely,
Should have mentioned the combined weight of the balls is 250g
Welcome to the RobotShop Forum. That is quite an interesting challenge. We can see based on your initial post that you are not quite sure where to start? If so, we have a few initial questions as well as suggestions.
]Would this competition be for high schools or universities? What level are you? Is it a required project as part of school, or more for fun?/:m]
]Do you have a team you are working with, or are you alone on the project? /:m]
]Do you have technical support from a teacher or mentor? If not, have you looked around to see if one might be available?/:m]
]Do you have any previous robotics background, or is this your first project? What previous experience do you have?/:m]
]Are you allowed to use a robot construction kit, or does the robot need to be entirely custom built? What is your budget?/:m]
Given that you are currently in the brainstorming / design stage of the project, you will need to list the important parts of the design and then figure out ways to go about each. Without reading through the entire document you provided, it sounds like you have the following elements:
]Sorting based on size/:m]
]Sorting based on color/:m]
]Mobility / travel/:m]
]“Dumping” the balls at a certain height and location/:m]
]Avoiding a small wall/:m]
]Not falling off the side of the field/:m]
]Autonomously navigating from one place to another/:m]
]Do you also need to pick up the balls?/:m]
Given that this needs to be done autonomously, you would really need some programming background if it is time sensitive.
RobotShop cannot provide design or consultation, but we would be happy to help you (along with the community here) try to determine the right technology for your needs. The chosen approach and corresponding products will ultimately be up to you, and you will need to work out if they will suit your needs.
Hi I need help with navigating my robot. I have attached an imagse of whetre my robot neetds to navigate. It starts at the caged point shown in the image where it receives balls from top. It needs to travel to the first drop off point (small container). My question is what is the simplest way to navigate autonomously in a fast and efficient manner.
I have
4 x 58mm omni
4 servos
Motor controller
Arduino uno3
Ir sensor
Will these parts do the job? If not then can u recommend parts and how to accomplish my goal.
You’ll need to take the next step and design the robot. You’ve chosen a fairly complex set of tasks as your first robot project.