Sub-Project 3: Robot Control, Calibration, and Lego Sorting
In sub-project 3, each group should extend their systems to be able to:
- Communicate with the Braccio robot and control it from Raspberry Pi.
- Clear the workbench in front of the robot by sorting the Lego bricks according to colour. Each colour needs to have its own predetermined destination.
Hints for sub-project 3
- Install Arduino IDE and add (the official) Braccio library.
- You absolutely need to work out and implement a robust serial communication between the Arduino and a Python script.
- Be gentle with the Braccio robot — we only have a small number of them!
- The Braccio robot and you may have different ideas of what the angles are. In the worst case, this can lead to the robot trying to hit/press hard against the table until it is damaged or breaks. Start with small angles, and carefully increase the allowed interval until the robot can reach what it is meant to!
Competition after sub-project 3
Sub-project 3 ends with a Lego sorting competition! The rules are:
- The Braccio robot must start and finish in “straight up” mode.
- 12 random Lego bricks must be sorted by colour and moved to their respective destinations.
- Each Lego brick that is not correctly sorted will give a time penalty of 30 seconds.
- Shortest time from start to finish (including potential penalties) wins!