You have to install the Arduino IDE and the NewPing library for this robot to work. Use the arduino library manager to install the NewPing library. Our submission for the 2k23 Progressio Open Senior Category (9-12) features a robot running on the Arduino chip. The robot uses the HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensors to stay on a specific path. The unique part of this project is that the robot will stop if it detects that another obstacle is in front of it.
We envision a new series of vehicles that increase safety and mobility, as well as contribute to achieving the UN sustainable development goals. Through our model of self-driving vehicles, we want to present an effective solution to working towards reducing the number of road accidents that happen everyday, worldwide.
https://youtu.be/XbkVdmh4EjI
This is the demo of the robot in action
https://youtu.be/xUdFiBupJ7Q
This is the OLED user interface in action
The theme of the competition is the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Our Project connects with 3 of the UNSDGs
Goals:
- Goal 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- Goal 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
- Goal 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
The 11th goal focuses on safe transport systems. Since the model will stop when it detects anything in the front, this model will prove to be a very safe form of transportation. Therefore, it will significantly reduce the number of harmful road accidents that occur, and ensure sustainable urbanisation.
Finally, the 12th goal focuses on responsible production. As said eariler, the model only uses electricity (obtained from renewable sources). This model will be very useful in supporting developing countries in technological development. Everyday the number of road accidents happening worldwide increases. This is a huge problem and we need a solution to increase our safety and wellbeing. Globally each year, 1.35 million people are killed on roadways around the world, and 3700 people are killed per day. Several more are harmed or injured in road accidents, including young children and the elderly. In Singapore itself, there were 108 fatalities in 2022, and this number continues to increase in 2023. This is a crucial and life-threatening issue and needs to be addressed. The robot will always move forwards in its specific path. It will never stray off its path, even if there is a intersection. The robot represents an electric car that uses sensors to detect any obstacles in its path and stops accordingly. The robot has an OLED screen to show the robot's functionality. We made the base of the robot using metal punched bars. The robot uses an 9V battery to power the Arudino microcontrollers and a 7.4V battery to power the motors. It uses HC-SR04 and infrared sensors to prevent collisions and stay on the path respectively. It uses an OLED to display the robot's function. We faced many challenges throughout the duration of the competition. At first, we did not have enough parts to make both robots. The laptop on which we had code on also froze, thus restricting us from programming the robot, and delaying the process. Once these were sorted, we were not able to keep the robot on track, following the lines correctly. The motors were always too fast or slow or the sensor started late. Turns out we hadn't connected the motor driver to the correct battery, and it would not be able to get enough power. After rewiring the circuits, the robot worked properly and would always stay on its track. On the last day, when we ran our robots individually, they started working perfectly and stopped running off track, but just as we ran them together our robots refused to move or started running off track again. We could only have one robot to properly work, as the other robot wouldn't work. However we have managed to sort out all our problems to ensure one smooth working model. We could have used more IR sensors to make a more accurate robot model and reducing the chance of it leaving the path, and for it to move potentially faster. We are proud of successfully creating not one, but two robots that are able to move according to the line track and sense other obstacles in time to stop and avoid harm. We were also able to overcome the challenges we faced by identifying our mistakes and fixing them in order to ensure a smooth working model. After spending three days working together as a team of 4 on the project, we have been able to better overcome our challenges and work together to complete everything and reach our goals effectively and cohesively. We envision a new series of self-driving vehicles that significantly increase safety and mobility. The aim is to reduce the number of road accidents, harm and injuries for all vehicle types, and make transportation safer for all.
