Robot Sees Light with No CPU

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If you ever built a line following robot, you’ll be nostalgic about [Jeremy’s] light-seeking robot. It is a very simple build since there is no CPU and, therefore, also no software.

The trick, of course, is a pair of photo-sensitive resistors. A pair of motors turns the robot until one of the sensors detects light, then moves it forward.

This is a classic beginner project made even easier with a 3D printer and PCB to hold the components. You might consider using an adjustable resistor to let you tune the sensitivity more easily. In addition, we’ve found that black tubes around the light sensors in this sort of application give you a better directional reading, which can help.

The robot only has two wheels, but a third skid holds the thing up. A freely-rotating wheel might work better, but for a simple demonstration like this, the skid plate is perfectly fine.

This is a good reminder that not every project has to be fantastically complex or require an RTOS and high-speed multi-core CPUs. You can do a lot with just a handful of simple components.

If you want to follow a line, the basic idea is usually the same, with perhaps some different sensors. Usually, but not always.



from Blog – Hackaday https://ift.tt/8yheIbJ

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