abstract

gistfile1.txt

An autonomous robot was constructed for participation in the 2016 IEEE Region 5 Conference Student Robotics Competition, which will take place in April. The theme for the competition is a search and rescue operation, where the robot must retrieve "victims" (wooden rods) and return them to the appropriate drop off zones on the playing field. The competition specified general requirements and restrictions of the robot, such as size, permitted components, and time allowed per round.  The chassis of the robot was constructed from an educational kit for a compact design and to allow modifications. DC gearmotors and a serial motor controller were used for locomotion, and a two degree-of-freedom grabber was used to lift and drop victims. The robot used a variety of low-cost sensors to perform navigation and detect victims, including range finders, gyroscope, color sensor, proximity sensors, and photogate. An Arduino microcontroller was used to control the robot’s electronic and electromechanical components. Third party libraries were used to program the robot in a layered, modular approach. A practice playing field was constructed, and the robot is expected to complete all objectives in the required time.