1. A Bot With a Brain
Using infrared obstacle detection circuits to create an autonomous robot that will navigate itself through an obstacle course.
Bailey Breaux
Lacie Duplessis

2. Abstract
Students create autonomous robot from Parallax Inc.’s Boe Bot to compete in obstacle course with a ramp
Requires electrical wiring, computer programming, understanding of sensors
All groups used infrareds, some used accelerometers, one used phototransistor
Two groups using two infrareds & one accelerometer succeeded
One group using three infrareds succeeded
Combination of infrareds and accelerometer proves to make best autonomous robot

3. Introduction
Boe Bot teaches: engineering, electronics, software development
Understand all sensors:
Infrared- detects objects using binary number system
whisker- rubs sensor on robot when it touches an object
phototransistor- detects difference from darkness and light
accelerometer- uses X-Y coordinate system to determine level of ground
Use these to create autonomous robot to navigate obstacle course

4. Research Questions
Which sensors or combination of sensors will work best?
What should the computer coding look like?
How will a change in wiring the circuit board help?
Are there any glitches in the robot that need to be fixed?
Calibrated servos?
Charged batteries?
Burnt sensors?

5. Methods Study problem by determining obstacle and resources
Wire Boe Bot with three infrared detection circuits.
Use BASIC stamp software on computer to program robot with a DO LOOP and GOSUB commands
Place the robot in randomly generated obstacle course with a ramp.
Record time it takes to complete the course.
Robot cannot be touched or assisted through course
Course must be completed in 3 min or under
Analyze and compare robot’s time to other robots’ times to determine which sensors were most effective in creating an autonomous robot

6. Results Round 1: Robot flipped on back in middle of maze
Robot did not complete obstacle 2 3
Robot completed obstacle at 1 min 14 sec
Round 1: Robot flipped on back in middle of maze
Round 2: Robot became stuck in a gap between the maze wall and the ramp wall right at the end of the maze
Round 3: robot finished maze and reached the top of the ramp in 1 min and 14 secs, but did not stop at top

7. Discussion
Only three of seven robots succeeded in navigating entire maze and going up ramp
No robot stopped at top of ramp
Of the three, two had two infrareds along with one accelerometer
The third had three infrareds

8. Conclusions Infrared sensors alone are best navigable sensors
Combination of infrareds and accelerometer is best for creating autonomous robot

9. References
Lindsay, Andy. Robotics with the Boe-Bot: Student Guide : Version 3.0. [s.l.]: Parallax, Print.