Robot Build
IT Girls Allowed 2014
Updated 14th August
Check all parts are present
Note that there are more parts in the boxes
than are actually used (breadboard, light
sensitive diodes, etc. ...)
Basic Hardware Pack (white “initio” box)
1 x Ready-built chassis with motors, gearboxes,
battery holder, speed sensors
4 x Moulded wheels with "Supergrip" tyres
1 x Top plate (injection-moulded ABS)
1 x Pack of ABS mounting parts
1 x Pack of screws
Additional Components (brown cardboard
box)
1 x Arduino UNO
1 x Arduino Sensor Shield
1 x L298N module
1 x Tilt and Pan assembly
1 x Ultrasonic sensor
2 x Infrared Obstacle sensors
2 x Light sensitive line follower sensors
1 x 4 wire Dupont cable (male one end,
female the other)
1 x 10 wire cable (female both ends)
1 x USB cable (for connecting PC to robot)
Screws Pack
(A) 2x for mounting IR obstacle sensors
(B) 4x for mounting mini Pan/Tilt
assembly
(C) 4x for use with small 8mm spacers
(D) 8x for mounting top plate with long
pillars
(E) 10x for mounting Arduino and L298N
modules
(F) 40x for long pillars and offset standoffs
1. Attach long pillars for top plate
Identify the 4 long pillars with the flat ends as shown
inset
Using the screws (D), fit a pillar into each corner of
the main chassis
Make sure that the pillars are seated well and
screwed in firmly, but not too tight
2. Attach long pillars for Line followers
Identify the 2 long pillars without flat ends
Using the screws (C), fit these into two holes at the
front of the chassis pointing down – i.e. On the
opposite side to the 4 pillars attached previously.
Make sure that the pillars are screwed in firmly
3. Attach supports for Obstacle Sensors
Identify the 2 ABS plastic collar mounts for the
Obstacle sensors
Using the screws (A) mount collar mounts:
• at the front of the chassis
• facing outwards (i.e. Screw slot/guide pointing
inwards)
• in the second hole in from the previously mounted
long pillars in the corner
• on the same side as those pillars (and on the
opposite side to the line follower pillars)
4. Fit the L298N Motor Driver Board and Wheels
Align the wheels to the shaped axles and press them
fully on
Use 4 screws (E) to fit the L298N board
Connect the left motor Red/Black wires to L1 (Red)
and L2 (Black)
Connect the right motor Red/Black wires to L3 (Black)
and L4 (Red)
Push the female end of the 4-way Dupont wire onto
the IN1..IN4 terminals (note, Dupont wire colours
might be different to the wire shown) Take note of
which colour connects to which connector – e.g. IN1
in this diagram is the blue wire.
Connect the Red/Black wires from the power supply
PCB to VCC (Red) and GND (Black)
5. Install Obstacle and Line follower sensors
Install the IR Obstacles sensors
For each sensor:
•Screw one of the provided plastic rings onto the
threaded tube of the sensor so that it is ½ a cm or so
behind the lens end of the sensor
•Position the sensor by pushing the lens through the
obstacle sensor support previously attached to the
chassis so that the lens is pointing outwards
•Screw the second of the provided plastic rings onto
the protruding end of the sensor to secure it on the
mounting
Install the Line Follower sensors
For each sensor:
•Insert the screw (F) through the more central of the
holes in the line follower sensor (so screw thread is
sticking out on the side of the sensor opposite the
sensor lens)
•Screw assembly into bottom of previously mounted
long pillar
•Separate off a 3 strand set of female-female dupont
cable from the 10 strand set, connect to the pins of
the line follower and thread through the long slots in
the chassis so they can be routed up to the top of the
robot.
6. Assemble Top Plate and fit Arduino
Recommendation: before screwing the top plate into
place thread the various cables (from the Obstacle
sensors, the Line followers and L298 module) through
the long slots in the plate – left hand cables through
the left slot and right hand (strangely enough)
through the right slot. This avoids finicky threading
later once the top plate has been fixed.
The Arduino is mounted at the Back of the initio
•Use 4 screws (D) to fit top plate, ensuring the
Arduino mounting positions are above the battery
holder and ensure the vertical pillars are fitted
correctly into the slots on the bottom of the top plate
•Use 4 screws (E) to fit the Arduino onto the pillars on
the top plate. The USB and power connections should
be directly above the power PCB
•Connect power cable from battery pack to Arduino
power socket
7. Fit Sensor Shield and Tilt and Pan Assembly
Carefully align the pins on the Sensor shield with the
associated sockets on the Arduino board and press
the shield down until all pins are fully embedded in
their sockets.
Using the four screws (B) mount the Pan and Tilt
assembly on the front of the top panel.
7. Mount Ultrasonic Sensor
Attach ultrasonic sensor to the appropriate moulded
ABS piece – it’s the one which is a bit like a table, flat
on one side with a bracket and 4 “legs” on the other
side. I attached it using the cable ties included in the
pack, but you can also use elastic bands, double sided
tape or whatever else you can think of.
The ultrasonic assembly should now simply click fit
onto the pan and tilt assembly.
8. Now wire it up
The basic assembly is now complete and you can
concentrate on wiring up the various components as
described on the following pages.
And when you finish your robot it should look
something like this
Final Wiring Notes
•
•
•
•
•
•
Motors and Motor Drivers
Ultrasonic Sensor
Line Followers
Tilt and Pan Servos
IR Obstacle Sensors
Wheel Sensors – Not Used
Note this last point – when the robot has been completely wired up
you will still have several wires which will not have been connected to
anything. THIS IS NORMAL. They are the wires for the wheel sensors.
Motors
• Driver Board
to Arduino
P12
P8 P6
P5
IN1 IN2 IN3 IN4
P6
P5 P12 P8
UltraSonic Sensor
Sensor Shield
Ultrasonic Sensor
Pin 15 V ( AREF)
VCC
Pin 15 G (AREF)
GND
A1
Trig ( Trigger )
A0
Echo (Echo, Echo, Echo)
UltraSonic Sensor
Line Followers
Sensor Shield
Line Follower Sensor
Pin 14 V ( GND)
Left VCC
Pin 14 G (GND)
Left GND
Pin 13 V
Right VCC
Pin 13 G
Right GND
A4
Left Out
A5
Right Out
Line Followers
G
V
S
LEFT
THE SENSOR SHOWN
IS POINTING DOWN
Line Followers
G
V
S
RIGHT
THE SENSOR SHOWN
IS POINTING DOWN
Tilt and Pan
• Use sensor shield pins 10 and 11
• 10 Tilt ( Up and Down action )
• 11 Pan Servo ( left to right action)
Sensor Shield
Servo
10
Tilt
11
Pan
Tilt and Pan
Just remember for servo – Yellow goes to sensor pin
Obstacle Sensors
• Use sensor shield pins 2 and 3 (Right and Left)
• Note no distance – only a switch
• The distance at which it switches can be
adjusted by a screw on the back of the sensor
Sensor Shield
IR Obstacle Sensor
3
Left
2
Right
Obstacle Sensor
Just remember for sensor– Yellow goes to sensor pin
And That Should be That!
You should now have a working robot
You can now move on to developing the software for
your new pet
Questions or problems please contact:
Neil Allgood, Dave Ellington or Kuldeep Judge