Micromouse (High School Divison) - Honda Innovation Award Nomination
2022 National Robotics Challenge
Geauga Engineering and Robotics (GEAR) 4-H Club


(left to right): Bryn Morgan and Grant Congdon, at their interview station for Honda Innovation Award

Laptop on left displays the model used to 3D print the robot chassis. Onshape CAD software was used to build the 3D model and export it in a format compatible with 3D printing. Onshape is available to students for free.

Laptop on right displays calibration curves of the four IR distance sensors. The IR sensors were custom built from components. The IR emitters have peak emission at 860 nm and the phototransistors have peak sensitivity at 870 nm (95% sensitivity at 860 nn). Short bursts of current overdrive the IR emitters, causing bright beams of IR light to reflect off the maze walls. The current is provided by a Darlington array. The phototransistors detect the amount of IR reflected off the maze walls. The signals from the phototransistors are digitized by analog to digital inputs on the microprocessor. Custom software was developed and included with the operating system to convert the digitized signals to distance measurements. The IR sensors allow the robot to determine its position in relation to maze walls to front, back, left and right sides.

 

Last update: April 20, 2022