Creating a Lego Mindstorm Navigation Robot :: Robotics

Includes Source CodeLego Navigation System victimizeMy project was to create a robot out of a Lego Mindstorms anatomical structure set thatwas capable of knowing where it was. The robot would head out on a random path,remember and update its location, and return to its origin on a straight line. The challengeof this project was not so overmuch a matter of constructing the robot, but of creating aworking program in the week and a half time limit. The project goal was met on the lastday, thus showing that a Lego navigation dust is possible. terra firmaA war zone is a dangerous place, especially for the infantry. both advantage,technological or otherwise is welcome, and any technology that spares soldierslives is invaluable. Recently, one much(prenominal) technology has made its sort to thebattlefield remote controlled robots. These robots can bear off real-time video,maneuver inside and out, and move hazardous materials out of the way oftroops. Two of the leading manufacturers o f these robots are iRobot and the US naval Corps. IRobots PackBot EOD uses a camera/grabber, multiple sensors,and a unique tread system capable of climbing stairs in order to execute thebulk of its tasks. It also has GPS. The US Marine Corps Dragon Runner is arugged, four-wheeled machine with a camera and other sensors safely encasedin the body. The Dragon Runner weighs roughly 16 pounds, while the PackBot is still over twice that much weight. While these robots are a owing(p) help in a warzone, the navigation system could be improved. If the robot could navigate byitself, the soldiers that previously had to operate the robot would be free to domore important tasks. By implementing a Cartesian coordinate system, I believethat these robots be programmed with a simple self-navigation system. effectThe physical design of NavBot is very simple. It follows the raw material design ofTankBot, as set forth in David Baums Definitive Guide to Lego Mindstorms. Ichose this design as the basi s of my robot due to its simplicity and ease ofconstruction. While it follows the basic TankBot design, it has its variations,because I didnt want to hunt down all of the call for pieces. When I first builtthe body and tested it, I install that the robot tended to drift to the right. Thiswas easily fixed by changing the male monarch level of the left motor from 7 (highest) to4. Aside from a fewer decorations (wings, camel head, smiley face), the physicalaspect of NavBot was complete.The more important, as well as complicated, puzzle was how to program