Project 2: Line following bot – Tests 1&2

This is a very basic line following robot using 4 IR led sensor receiver pairs in a line, continuous rotation servos and Arduino Uno. The wheels are made from beer coasters and I was planning to add a wheel encoder using another IR led / sensor pair at a later stage. The logic is very simple, but works well to test the line detection and the basic movement commands. The next step should be applying a better control mechanism, maybe PID?The continuous rotation servos were very easy to work with and control with the Arduino servo library, but have a relatively low RPM (about 60). On a short course with a lot of sharp turns, this will not be such a problem, but on a longer track with straight sections, it puts you at a disadvantage to faster bots.

… and here is version 2, with two faster DC motors and 6 IR sensors. I am using a L298N Dual H Bridge module to drive the motors and a voltage booster to supply about 8 volts from a 6v battery pack to the H-Bridge (the motors are rated for 6 volts). The “U” turn was not part of (my) plan – I guess more work on the 90 degree turns is needed…