Join us in Unfolding the Mysteries of the Unknown
Building Towards Exploration
The Process
Systems
The main system of this expletory robot
is its folding mechanism. This allows it to
traverse over rough terrain automatically
based on its programming.
This system uses a distance sensor to detect
when an object is in front of it. When the
distance returns below a set value, the servo
motor in the middle moves to shorten the
system while increasing the high clearance.
#include <Stepper.h>
#include <Servo.h>
#include <IRremote.h>
#define IR_RECEIVE_PIN 3
//Defines to set the IR Receiver Values
#define ON_OFF 69
#define LEFT 68
#define RIGHT 67
#define BACK 7
#define PAUSEPLAY 64
#define FORWARD 9
#define CASE_0 22
#define CASE_1 12
#define CASE_2 24
#define CASE_3 94
#define CASE_4 8
#define CASE_5 28
#define CASE_6 90
#define CASE_7 66
#define CASE_8 82
#define CASE_9 74
//Defmines to set the LED pins (both RED and BLUE)
#define RED_1 22
#define RED_2 23
#define RED_3 24
#define RED_4 25
#define RED_5 26
#define BLUE_1 28
#define BLUE_2 29
#define BLUE_3 30
#define BLUE_4 31
#define BLUE_5 32
const int stepsPerLoop = 2;
Stepper rightMotor(500, 44, 46, 40, 42); //Initilizes stepper motor
Stepper leftMotor(500, 39, 41, 43, 45); //Note that both motors were backwards so thats where the negatives come from
Servo servo; //Initilizes Servo
int posS1 = 0; //Position of Servo
char response; //Serial response
char buff; //Serial buffer
int count = 0; //Servo counter
int LED_TYPE = 0; //Picks option for LED
const int trigPin = 9;
const int echoPin = 10;
long duration;
int distance;
//Function to turn all the LED's On
void LED_ALL_ON()
{
digitalWrite(RED_1, HIGH);
digitalWrite(RED_2, HIGH);
digitalWrite(RED_3, HIGH);
digitalWrite(RED_4, HIGH);
digitalWrite(RED_5, HIGH);
digitalWrite(BLUE_1, HIGH);
digitalWrite(BLUE_2, HIGH);
digitalWrite(BLUE_3, HIGH);
digitalWrite(BLUE_4, HIGH);
digitalWrite(BLUE_5, HIGH);
}
//Function to turn all Red LED's On
void LED_RED_ON()
{
digitalWrite(RED_1, HIGH);
digitalWrite(RED_2, HIGH);
digitalWrite(RED_3, HIGH);
digitalWrite(RED_4, HIGH);
digitalWrite(RED_5, HIGH);
}
//Function to turn all Blue LED's On
void LED_BLUE_ON()
{
digitalWrite(BLUE_1, HIGH);
digitalWrite(BLUE_2, HIGH);
digitalWrite(BLUE_3, HIGH);
digitalWrite(BLUE_4, HIGH);
digitalWrite(BLUE_5, HIGH);
}
//Function to turn all LED's Off
void LED_ALL_OFF()
{
digitalWrite(RED_1, LOW);
digitalWrite(RED_2, LOW);
digitalWrite(RED_3, LOW);
digitalWrite(RED_4, LOW);
digitalWrite(RED_5, LOW);
digitalWrite(BLUE_1, LOW);
digitalWrite(BLUE_2, LOW);
digitalWrite(BLUE_3, LOW);
digitalWrite(BLUE_4, LOW);
digitalWrite(BLUE_5, LOW);
}
//Function to blink the RED LED's
void LED_BLINK_RED()
{
digitalWrite(RED_1, HIGH);
digitalWrite(RED_2, LOW);
digitalWrite(RED_3, HIGH);
digitalWrite(RED_4, LOW);
digitalWrite(RED_5, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(RED_1, LOW);
digitalWrite(RED_2, HIGH);
digitalWrite(RED_3, LOW);
digitalWrite(RED_4, HIGH);
digitalWrite(RED_5, LOW);
}
//Function to blink the BLUE LED's
void LED_BLINK_BLUE()
{
digitalWrite(BLUE_1, HIGH);
digitalWrite(BLUE_2, LOW);
digitalWrite(BLUE_3, HIGH);
digitalWrite(BLUE_4, LOW);
digitalWrite(BLUE_5, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(BLUE_1, LOW);
digitalWrite(BLUE_2, HIGH);
digitalWrite(BLUE_3, LOW);
digitalWrite(BLUE_4, HIGH);
digitalWrite(BLUE_5, LOW);
}
//Function to make a wave with RED LED's
void LED_WAVE_RED()
{
digitalWrite(RED_1, HIGH);
delay(100);
digitalWrite(RED_1, LOW);
digitalWrite(RED_2, HIGH);
delay(100);
digitalWrite(RED_2, LOW);
digitalWrite(RED_3, HIGH);
delay(100);
digitalWrite(RED_3, LOW);
digitalWrite(RED_4, HIGH);
delay(100);
digitalWrite(RED_4, LOW);
digitalWrite(RED_5, HIGH);
}
//Function to make a wave with BLUE LED's
void LED_WAVE_BLUE()
{
digitalWrite(BLUE_1, HIGH);
delay(100);
digitalWrite(BLUE_1, LOW);
digitalWrite(BLUE_2, HIGH);
delay(100);
digitalWrite(BLUE_2, LOW);
digitalWrite(BLUE_3, HIGH);
delay(100);
digitalWrite(BLUE_3, LOW);
digitalWrite(BLUE_4, HIGH);
delay(100);
digitalWrite(BLUE_4, LOW);
digitalWrite(BLUE_5, HIGH);
}
//Function to move Forward
void forward()
{
for (int i=0; i < stepsPerLoop; i++)
{
rightMotor.step(-50);
leftMotor.step(-50);
}
}
//Function to move LEFT
void left()
{
for (int i=0; i < stepsPerLoop; i++)
{
rightMotor.step(50);
leftMotor.step(-50);
leftMotor.step(-50);
leftMotor.step(-50);
}
}
//Function to move RIGHT
void right()
{
for (int i=0; i < stepsPerLoop; i++)
{
rightMotor.step(-50);
rightMotor.step(-50);
rightMotor.step(-50);
leftMotor.step(50);
}
}
//Function to move BACK
void back()
{
for (int i=0; i < stepsPerLoop; i++)
{
rightMotor.step(50);
leftMotor.step(50);
}
}
void setup()
{
rightMotor.setSpeed(60); //Set stepper motor speeds
leftMotor.setSpeed(60);
servo.attach(8); //Initilize servo
pinMode(trigPin, OUTPUT); // Sets the trigPin as an Output
pinMode(echoPin, INPUT); // Sets the echoPin as an Input
Serial.begin(9600);
IrReceiver.begin(IR_RECEIVE_PIN); //Begin IR Receiver
delay(2000);
Serial.println("Type w, a, s, or d to choose the direction of movement.");
}
void loop() {
//Norwegian Creations Code Begins (Serial Input)
if(Serial.available())
{
//my code
buff = Serial.read();
if (buff == 'w' || buff == 'W' || buff == 'a' || buff == 'A' || buff == 's' || buff == 'S' || buff == 'd' || buff == 'D') //prevents it from resetting the value prematurely
{ response = buff; }
//end my code
Serial.print("You typed: ");
Serial.println(response);
}
//Norwegian Creations Code Ends
//Robotics Back-End Code Begins (IR)
if (IrReceiver.decode()) {
IrReceiver.resume();
int command = 0;
command = IrReceiver.decodedIRData.command;
Serial.print(command);
switch (command) {
//Robotics Back-End Code Ends (They used switch cases but I changed the contents of them)
case LEFT:
{
response = 'a';
break;
}
case RIGHT:
{
response = 'd';
break;
}
case FORWARD:
{
response = 'w';
break;
}
case BACK:
{
response = 's';
break;
}
case PAUSEPLAY:
{
count = 0;
break;
}
case ON_OFF:
{
LED_ALL_OFF();
LED_TYPE = -1; //To turn the LED's off
break;
}
case CASE_0:
{
LED_TYPE = 0;
break;
}
case CASE_1:
{
LED_TYPE = 1;
break;
}
case CASE_4:
{
LED_TYPE = 4;
break;
}
case CASE_7:
{
LED_TYPE = 7;
break;
}
case CASE_3:
{
LED_TYPE = 3;
break;
}
case CASE_6:
{
LED_TYPE = 6;
break;
}
case CASE_9:
{
LED_TYPE = 9;
break;
}
}
}
//Sets Motors to Move Based on User Input
if (response == 'w' || response == 'W')
{ forward(); }
else if (response == 'a' || response == 'A')
{ left(); }
else if (response == 's' || response == 'S')
{ back(); }
else if (response == 'd' || response == 'D')
{ right(); }
//Sets LED pattern based on IR Input
if (LED_TYPE == 0)
{ LED_ALL_ON(); }
else if (LED_TYPE == 1)
{ LED_BLINK_RED(); }
else if (LED_TYPE == 4)
{ LED_WAVE_RED(); }
else if (LED_TYPE == 7)
{ LED_RED_ON(); }
else if (LED_TYPE == 3)
{ LED_BLINK_BLUE(); }
else if (LED_TYPE == 6)
{ LED_WAVE_BLUE(); }
else if (LED_TYPE == 9)
{ LED_BLUE_ON(); }
//How to Mechatronics Code Begins (Distance Sensor)
digitalWrite(trigPin, LOW);
delayMicroseconds(2);
digitalWrite(trigPin, HIGH); // Sets the trigPin on HIGH state for 10 micro seconds
delayMicroseconds(10);
digitalWrite(trigPin, LOW);
duration = pulseIn(echoPin, HIGH); // Reads the echoPin, returns the sound wave travel time in microseconds
distance = duration * 0.034 / 2; // Calculating the distance
//How to Mechatronics Code Ends
//moves the central servo motor
if (distance < 30 || count < 10 )
{
if(distance < 30)
{ count = 0; }
posS1 =+ 20;
count++;
}
else
{
posS1 = 0;
}
servo.write(posS1); // tell servo to go to position in variable 'pos'
}Resources
The base code for the serial input came from Norwegian Creations (https://www.norwegiancreations.com/2017/12/arduino-tutorial-serial-inputs/).
In addition to this, the wiring code to run and receive a value in cm using the distance sensor was used from How To Mechatronics (https://howtomechatronics.com/tutorials/arduino/ultrasonic-sensor-hc-sr04/).
The base code for the stepper motors came from Tutorials Point (https://www.tutorialspoint.com/arduino/arduino_stepper_motor.htm). However, this code was mainly used as a syntax and initialization base and was heavily edited to fit the purposes of the project. Additionally, the wiring pinout was used from here.
For the IR Portion of the code I used an article from Robotics Back-End (https://roboticsbackend.com/arduino-ir-remote-controller-tutorial-setup-and-map-buttons/) as a base which I modified to suit my needs. The define statements for the LED’s also came from this source.
Fold-N-Explore 
