PIC-BASED PATH FINDING METAL DETECTOR ROBOT
AbstractOne of the biggest challenges in constructing a robot lies in the control of its motors. In this project we use a PIC 16F84A microcontroller to control the stepper motors of the wheels.
The robot is mounted on a three motorized swedish or spherical wheels arranged in a triangle to make omnidirectional movement possible. Two target points are initially taken and the robot is made to move towards one of them depending on the input selection. An array of proximity sensors are used for detecting the obstacles.
By controlling the stepper motors, the robot is made to move in a tangential direction to the obstacle. The algorithm is written in such a way that the microcontroller checks the proximity sensors after a specified time delay. This is done in order to maneuver the robot again towards the target. This subroutine is employed whenever an obstacle is encountered till the robot reaches the target point.
A metal detector is mounted on the robot to detect the metals present in the way. This robot is used in various industrial applications such as terrestrial, underground and space explorations, navigation in hazardous environments and in military operations. Enhancements can be done by adding a series of modules on this robot for other specific purposes.
