Hello guys,
I have been reading this forum for quite a while and I have finally decided to join in the conversation. Enough about me, lets get to the question in hand. I have been toying with an Arduino robot that I have build via a kit I bought in amazon. The kit name is elego Uno smart robot kit, link here. for reference. However, after playing with this robot for sometime now. I have more questions than I have answers. I'll ask just one question here in hopes someone can guide me on how I might accomplish this task. I would like to have the robot car follow me. Is there are sensor I can buy (sort of like a transmitter receiver) type, that I can use to have the robot follow me around? I have programmed several routines with the arduino and I understand how to program it to avoid obstacles with a sensor but is there any sample projects out-there with tracking a person or some other transmitter? Any help, advice, links or books would be greatly appreciated.
Is there are sensor I can buy (sort of like a transmitter receiver) type, that I can use to have the robot follow me around?
The short answer is no.
The longer answer is maybe. It depends on what you are willing to wear, for the sensors to see. You will, of course, need two sensors, spaced some distance apart.The time of flight of a signal from one sensor to the device you wear will rarely be the same as for the other sensor. If they ARE exact, then it is tracking you properly. If they are not, then you are not centered in front of the follower, so the follower knows to turn a little bit.
Radios won't work, because the time of flight is too short for the Arduino to measure accurately, and way too short to differentiate distance.
Ping sensors can, if the time measured represents several pulses being sent and received back. The problem with them is that they can't tell what the signal bounced off of.
So, typically, they are modified. Doing so is not trivial.
I was afraid you would say that. Let me ask you a different question. How, about some sort of GPS system on a way smaller scale. Say I have a square yard and it dimensions are 20 feet by 20 feet and I would like the robot to touch every point within that box, do you have any suggestions on how you would go about doing that. My idea would have been walk in front of the robot and than have it follow me so that I can basically record the steps necessary to hit every point withing this perfect square of a yard.
You need a transmitter that you carry, probably an Infra Red TX on your belt, and an IR RX that can physically scan its surroundings, on your car, looking for the IR TX, and then driving towards it.
@tomGeorge,
My apologies I'm still rather new to the whole thing and I thought the made sense. That being said do you have any parts suggestions that I can use to acomplish this task.
I was afraid you would say that. Let me ask you a different question. How, about some sort of GPS system on a way smaller scale. Say I have a square yard and it dimensions are 20 feet by 20 feet and I would like the robot to touch every point within that box, do you have any suggestions on how you would go about doing that. My idea would have been walk in front of the robot and than have it follow me so that I can basically record the steps necessary to hit every point withing this perfect square of a yard.