AndyBoard Autonomous Robotics: Basics

AndyBoard - April 2024 - Lab 1 - A Basic Robot

Introduction

In this, the first lab, your assignment is to build a simple, basic robot. In other labs you will use this robot, perhaps with modifications, to perform various tasks.

There are three main reasons why you are required to build this simple, basic robot exactly according to a specific, fixed plan.

Firstly, you will learn a number of important concepts related to mechanical engineering.

Secondly, for a variety of reasons that will become clearer in due course, it is sometimes necessary to follow instructions exactly, even thought you may be able to think of a better way.

And, thirdly, sometimes - such as now - there simply isn't time for you to come up with your own solution. For example, the schedule for this course requires you to have a robot that can be used for a variety of learning activities in about one and a half hours. If you were to design your own robot, it would take at least an hour just to explain to you what capabilities the robot is required to have and what restrictions there are on its design. Those restrictions include its size, the number and varitey of parts from which it is made, the way it turns, its speed, the way its speed can be changed, etc, etc. Actually designing and building a robot that satisfies those requirements and restriction would take you at least ten hours and it is likely that you would discover in some later lab exercise that your robot was not adequate and you'd have to redesign and rebuild it.

Thus, building this robot according to the instructions given will help you to acquire some mechanical engineering skills while also helping you to complete the lab exercises that are part of this course. To complete this course, however, you will be required to design and build your own robot.

Grading

To complete this lab your robot must be inspected by the instructor. This inspection will include a drop test.

You start out with 100 points and will lose 5 points for every neatness violation.

You will lose 5 points for every place where a part that moves or rotates can touch an electrical wire.

You also will lose 5 points for each instance where Lego parts become detached during the drop test or during inspection handling.

And, lastly, you will lose 10 points for any failure to follow the instructions.

Instructions

Electrical Precautions: Protecting wires

Part 1: Main chassis - right hand half (steps 1 thru 27)

Part 2: Main chassis - left hand half (steps 28 thru 50)

Part 3: Motors and shaft encoder disks (Steps 51 thru 55)

Part 4: IR reflectance sensor sub-assembly (Steps 56 thru 75)

Part 5: Shaft encoders and rear superstructure and decking (Steps 76 thru 90)

Part 6: Bump sensors, remaining superstructure, & HandyBoard cage (Steps 91 thru 118)

Part 7: Bump sensor gates (Steps 119 thru 124)

Part 8: Have your lab work graded

updated 15apr24 AC