Autonomous Robot

Overview

I, alongside three teammates, designed and built an autonomous robot from scratch capable of traversing an obstacle course filled with rough terrain, traps, and chasms. The goal: retrieve treasures and deliver them to the finish line for the Engineering Physics “Robot Summer” competition (full details here).

I primarily focused on:

  • Designing and building the arm: A three-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm that extends up to 10 inches and rotates 60° to either side. I achieved this using servo motors, a stepper motor-driven rack and pinion, and a sonar sensor for precise treasure detection.
  • High and low voltage power systems: Designed the power distribution circuits to ensure stable operation.
  • H-bridge motor control: Soldered and configured circuits for bidirectional wheel movement using DC motors.
  • Line-following control: Implemented and tuned PID algorithms using reflectance sensors for accurate path following.

This project showcased my skills in:

  • Embedded systems
  • Algorithm development
  • Hardware design
  • Integration of multiple technologies into a cohesive system

Check out the robot control code on GitHub!

Technologies and Tools

  • Microcontrollers: STM32 Blue Pill
  • Programming Languages: C++
  • Development Environments: PlatformIO, VS Code
  • Hardware: Ultrasonic sensors, IR sensors, reflectance sensors, hall effect sensors, DC motors, motor drivers, LiPo batteries
  • Prototyping Tools: Onshape, 3D printer, waterjet cutter, laser cutter
Competition Layout
The competition layout and obstacles.
Basket Lifting Mechanism
CAD design of basket lifting mechanism.
Treasure Pickup Procedure
Demonstration of treasure pickup procedure.
H-bridge Circuit
H-bridge circuit for bidirectional wheel movement.
Robot
Fully-assembled robot prototype.