Generating Ideas...

On the last week, we had made a discussion on what type of robot that we should develop for our incoming project. We managed to garner ±12 ideas that seem suitable with our task requirement. In further discussion, we had decided to concentrate on the following ideas as the best top 6 for our final project:

 

1.  The Dog

This robot resembles like actual dog shape and behaviour. It will be program to follow a black line(using light sensor) and stop when it nose (using touch sensor) hits something.  While stopping, it will bark and turn its direction avoiding the obstacle.

2.  Table Challenge

This is a challenge-based project that requires student to compete each other. The idea is simple. A robot will be design in any shape and runs on a table freely without falling down. The sensor might be useful to avoid falling is light sensor (by detecting dark lines at every edge of the table) or ultrasonic sensor (by detecting any range change between the table and the floor). Which groups can stay on the table in the longest time is the winner.

3.  Maze Robot   

Intelligent robot that can solve the maze by crossing from the starting line until finish at the other end. The robot follow the line, avoid any obstacles and dead end road, turn direction by sound command and stay on the path until find the way out.

4.  Floor Cleaner

The janitor-like robot will complete an errand by sweeping the floor that full with red objects (e.g. paper or ball). But it will avoid the blue colour object that assumes as non-garbage objects. The robot will turn 360⁰ to find any nearest object (using rotation sensor) and detecting the object type either blue or red (light sensor). If red, the robot will pick it up and put in the backpack, but ignore if the object is blue. 

5.  Catapult

Based on war theme, this robot will attack any objects that come closer in specific proximity (ultrasonic sensor). If threaten, the catapult will launch a heavy boulder by using motor enhanced with powerful gears. Then, it will retreat and repeat if the process if threat come again.

6.  Tortoise

A pure tortoise shape robot. It will program to crawl slowly looking for green grass (light sensor detecting green tiles). It will stop and move out it head. But if the head touched (attach with touch sensor), it will retract the head into the shell and move at other safe place. 

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The selection for final project should be carefully take in considering our criteria to apply in the classroom. The project should not be too complicated because students have the very basic skill in developing the robot. We also consider that the project must be a robot and not a machine. So, it should have artificial intelligent and can interact with the surrounding by using sensors. The project also should utilize at leats 3 different types of the available sensors to make the robot intelligent.