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darrenabrown
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Engineering Fields - Electrical Engineering - New Member

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Location: Rotherham, South Yorkshire
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Designing a Three-Wheeled Robot

02/20/2009 10:30 AM

Hi everyone I hope that we are all ok in these hard times,

my question is I have to design a 3 wheeled robot (Electrically) that will track towards the strongest light source. Then avoid any obsticals in it's path. However I do not have to build the robot, I just have to write a programme in C or C++ that shows that my design will work, I am new to this field and would like some pointers in the right direction. I have been thinking that a h bridge electronic design could be the answer to the drive system so that when the light sensor picks up the strongest light source the robot will track towards it. I was also thinking that an infra red sensor would be able to detect any obsticals so the robot would avoid them. My problem is that how can I write a programme that will perform these tasks and then export the data into excel as my programming expertise is ok but not great.

Any help or guidence would be much apreciated.

Regards.

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user-deleted-1105
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#1

Re: Designing a Three-Wheeled Robot

02/20/2009 6:16 PM

Decide on some basic sensor array for determining the strongest light direction, minimum 2 sensors, assume you can make it turn right or left by a fixed angle say 20degrees each way or run straight or reverse.

Write a flow chart first, then worry about the actual code for turning etc.

The flow chart will give you the strategy...the code is merely the implementation...(which will be riddled with bugs anyway).
Del

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D.RAMAKRISHNA NAIDU
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#2

Re: Designing a Three-Wheeled Robot

02/21/2009 9:25 AM

As you dont have to build the robot, the following sequence can be programmed:

1.Scan all light sources

2.Determine strongest light source (SLS)-By successive comparison or "Bubble Sort"

3.Determine the direction of the SLS- wrt own location and orientation

4.Turn towards the SLS- (until "Error" = zero)

5.Move towards SLS "While" path is clear

6.If SLS is reached- "YES" - Then Stop-else continue Move

Hope this is partially helpful.

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chrisg288
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#3

Re: Designing a Three-Wheeled Robot

02/21/2009 12:59 PM

design a 50 ton robotic vehicle. remember.. its not an obstacle if no one is getting hurt!

and of course.. all you have to do is hang a bright light bulb on a stick attached to your vehicle.. now you only need one sensor... pointing at the light bulb! .. or design a robotic submariine.. only one sensor needed.. UP.

As far as writing in c or c++, I would check that it can't be done in vba with your prof.. then you could code it write in excel in vba. Excel exposes spreadsheet objects to vba. If that doesn't work, maybe you can put an excel activeX object in your visual C++ project? otherewise, just write your data out as comma delimited, and excel will be able to read it as native, without any formatting. If you search around on the internet, you may be able to find the excel file format, and write the data that way.

Have fun with it,

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Andy Germany
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#4

Re: Designing a Three-Wheeled Robot

02/22/2009 4:30 AM

Do you need a microcomputer controlled one, or would a simpler design suit? I have a design still in my head that I built in the 60's, would drive to light source (even a moving one) and stop....very simple.

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darrenabrown
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#5
In reply to #4

Re: Designing a Three-Wheeled Robot

02/23/2009 2:44 AM

I would just require a simple 1, no microprocesser.

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user-deleted-1105
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#6
In reply to #5

Re: Designing a Three-Wheeled Robot

02/23/2009 2:46 AM

Without a microprocessor there would be little point in C code .

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Andy Germany (1); chrisg288 (1); D.RAMAKRISHNA NAIDU (1); darrenabrown (1); user-deleted-1105 (2)

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