New to using arduino, trying to program a race car

Projects General Guidance
1

So basically, I'm trying to make this: http://letsmakerobots.com/node/928

...using arduino. If you don't click on the link, it's a toy car made to follow along walls as if there's a race track. One sensor looking front, another looking to the right, and the code for it is basically if something in front then turn left and go to main, if something closer than x cm to the right then turn left and go to main, if nothing in front and something closer than 70 cm to the right then drive ahead and go to main, if nothing to the right closer than x cm then turn right and go to main.

I'm waiting on an order or relays, I have some great sensors, I'm mostly into mechanics side of making a robot (good with tools, metals, I just prefer building in general) but a friend showed me this and it seemed simple enough, I just want it as a project. I'm not too great at programming though I understand basics of C and such, I was taught in python. This site recommends and gives instructions for picaxe but I have an arduino board already on me and I'm told it's easier using that. I'm at a uni with an amazing roboclub so I have good access to things. Can someone help out a bit just with how I'd hook this up and the programming?

2

http://www.adafruit.com/index.php?main_page=tutorials

This is a great place to start if you don't know anything about coding/using an arduino at all...

I don't know what kind of sensors you have, but there might be a library that has predefined functions that make using them easier.

don't know if this link will help... but it might be the same sort of sensor.

3

Thanks, I mean I've been using the arduino tutorial but I'm using 2 hc-sr04 sensors. I've read around and they say to divide by 15 to get the cm measurement. I've been trying to find some help with that but can't.

4

http://www.arduino.cc/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1272177425

this pertains directly to the sensors you are using, and has a link to download the library for those sensors. One of the functions helps you find the distance in cm...

Hope this helps

5

Yeah, I just was using that it's pretty helpful.

I was trying out this code:

#include <Servo.h>
#include "Ultrasonic.h"
Ultrasonic ultrasonic(pingPin, inPin)
Ultrasonic ultrasonicside(pingPin_1, inPin_1)

Servo myservo;

int pos1 = 90;
int pos2 = 150;
int pos3 = 30;
int pingPin = 13;
int inPin = 12;
int pingPin_1 = 9;
int inPin_1 = 8;

void setup() {
myservo.attach(10);
pinMode(0, OUTPUT);
pinMode(11, OUTPUT);
}

void loop()
{
cm = ultrasonic.Ranging(CM);
cm_1 = ultrasonicside.Ranging(CM);

if (cm < 30)
{
turnRight()
}

if (cm_1 < 30)
{
turnLeft()
}

if ((cm > 30) and (cm_1 < 70))
{
driveAhead()
}

if (cm_1 > 70)
{
turnRight()
}

but I'm just not sure how to write just regular functions. I guess I can just edit the motors within, though I'm just trying to keep the code simple for me.