Pololu 3pi Line Maze Solving Robot

http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/975
Ben's Pololu 3pi robot (prototype) solving a line maze. This robot was programmed to compete in the LVBots Challenge 4.0 (www.lvbots.org) at the end of May, 2008.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• line
• maze
• solving
• robot
• 3pi
• pololu
• orangutan
• lvbots
• avr
• atmega168
• atmega328
• atmega328p
• arduino

[tzkelley]

What does the robot do if it can't complete the first pass in the time alloted? The original rules for line maze (using 1/4" tape instead of 3/4") made it very difficult to complete a first pass in only one run.

[BenPololu]

@tzkelley The rules for the competition this robot was designed for didn't have time restrictions that made it difficult to learn the maze in a single run, so it wasn't designed to perform a multi-stage search. I have since programmed a 3pi maze-solver that uses a flood-fill algorithm to solve looped mazes. With this version of the code, the robot can store the entire explored state of the maze in EEPROM as it goes, so it could explore over multiple runs if programmed to do so.

[96bikerider96]

I feel tempted to buy one, but i prefer making my own robots from scratch...

why are 5 QTR-RC reflectance sensors used?

i made a line follower using only 3, and i've seen them with only 2 working fine

[BenPololu]

We do sell most of the 3pi parts by themselves if you want to build something similar from scratch, and you can add custom electronics to the 3pi.

You can make a line-follower with one sensor if you really want to; adding more sensors gives more resolution for PID and allows for better performance. The two outside sensors (1 and 5) are good for detecting intersections in mazes or seeing things off to the side of the line course. Line-following can be done well with just the 3 inner sensors.

[karandex]

i am trying code 3pi for a line maze.there is 6 inch difference and no loops. what modifications to sample code you suggest or it is the best ?

[BenPololu]

Youtube comments are not the best medium for discussing software improvements. Please take this discussion to the 3pi robot section of the Pololu forum.

[geliegelie]

good day.

i'm really amazed with your maze robot project.

if you don't mind i would like also to make one.

may i ask for the circuit diagram of your project?

please send it to angelies1291@yahoo.com

thank you.

[jipje44]

what will happen if you let it remeber this course and put it on an other course?

[nickstout513]

This video went viral on Chisinau

[engalcm]

hello my friend, what motor you used in this project?

[thesuperjake2]

THAT WAS AMAZINGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!

[gamefreak615]

one question can you some how a make a case for the robot so his body parts dont show up. other than that... GENIUS

[Qwedvit]

i'm aMAZEd!

[Scoonezy132]

Very clever! However, I have a question: if there are multiple routs to the centre and it learns both, how does it judge which to go down? If they both have the same amount of turns, how does it work out which is best?

[MeikaKosake]

if you notice, robot just using the left wall rule.

He just turn left, when it possible. That's all

sorry 4 my english, i'm just russian nerd :D

[hhrm]

Hrm. Well done! I think I'll give this a shot. I have done line followers (AVR-based) and maze solvers (a pure PC software in Java), it would be fun to merge them:P

ps: Great victory song! :P