Key robotic components: microcontrollers &sensors
Today, people delegate more and more functions to robots. Robotics is useless without measuring and control devices: sensors and actuators. They help robots to navigate in the environment using physical phenomena.
There are algorithms for using such well-known phenomena, as echo, light, emergence of forces or inertia for getting surprisingly exact and complex information for robot monitoring and control.
Data coming from sensors are used to control robot's position in space, construct movement trajectories avoiding collision with obstacles, and recognize images and colors.
The class for schoolchildren and students gets them acquainted with:
- Essential skills for operating microcontroller systems
- Types and design of different sensors
- Algorithms for processing data coming from measuring devices
- Kinematics of movement for various types of transport robots
Masterclass Plan
Theoretical Part:
- Overview of various measuring devices
- Demonstration of a touch sensor surface
- Introduction of algorithms for orientation in 3D space
- Visualization of the IMU (Inertial Motion Unit) module operation
- Description of the mobile robots kinematics
- Demonstration of the omnidirectional robot's operation.
Practical Part:
- Launch and calibration of the orientation sensor
- Discussion of the algorithm for measured data processing
- Operation of the omnidirectional robot
- Discussion of the kinematic model
- Discussion of the remote robot control interface.
Master class results and Testing of acquired knowledge and skills
The masterclass participants get familiar with various measuring devices used in robotics and mechatronics. They will learn ways to create kinematic models and see the operation of an omnidirectional mobile robot.
The masterclass efficiency is tested by answers to the following questions:
- How to choose components for a mobile robot?
- Why does a robot need remote control?
- How to distinguish a stable mechanism from an unstable one?
- Comparison of different mobile robot designs
- What is more important, a quality controller or an experienced operator?
Essential equipment for classes
- Plug connection for the lecturer’s laptop.
- Screen and projector or a smart TV with large screen for streaming presentations from the lecturer’s laptop.
- Camera with real-time stream on screen/TV.
