Transforming Robotics with Line Following

The robot is a line-following vehicle built with an Elegoo Arduino UNO R3, IR sensors, DC motors, etc. It's supposed to follow a line using sensor input and a motor driver for control.
Farah Omar Hamidah Shittu
Grade 6

Problem

Electric vehicles can be expensive, so we wanted to create a simple, low-cost line-following robot. This project will show how electric and autonomous technology can work together in a fun, affordable way, making it easier for everyone to learn about these technologies.

Method

Building our line-following robot took a lot of steps, but we followed a clear plan. First, our goal was to do both: make the robot follow a black line on a white surface and pick up objects. However, we gave up on the object-picking part a long time ago. We decided to focus on making the robot follow the line. We drew out the design, researched how line-following works, and made a list of all the materials we needed. Once we had everything, like the microcontroller, motors, motor drivers, sensors, a chassis, and some batteries, we set up our workspace to make assembly easier.

We started by attaching the motors to the chassis, but the wheels didn’t line up properly at first, so we had to adjust them before tightening everything. After that, we wired the motors to the motor drivers, connected the motor drivers to the Arduino board, and added the battery pack. The IR sensors went at the bottom to detect the line, but we didn’t have a soldering iron at first, so we used electrical tape to make the connections. It wasn’t the best solution, but it worked for a while. Later, after we got picked for the science fair, we bought proper wire and used a wood burner to make the connections much cleaner.

Next, we wrote and uploaded the Arduino code to control the motors. The first test run didn’t go well—the sensors weren’t reading correctly, and the robot moved all over the place. We adjusted the code to remove extra sensor noise and recalibrated everything. However, things got worse when the Arduino started smoking! That’s when we realized the code wasn’t uploading because the Arduino had burned out. So, we had to get a new one and try again. We also had issues with one of the sensors—it stopped working, so we had to replace that as well.

Even after the replacements, the robot still had problems, like missing the line, moving unpredictably, and sometimes stopping because of loose wires. We fixed these issues by repositioning the sensors, securing the wiring, and tweaking the motor speed.

As we got closer to the deadline, we realized the robot wasn’t going to be perfect, so we focused on making small improvements. Although the robot never followed the line properly, it still moved and we did manage to learn a lot about electronics, coding, troubleshooting, and the importance of using the right equipment!

Analysis

The robot turns on, the lights work, and the wheels start moving, but it doesn’t follow the line and moves in a wonky way. This happened because the sensors are not detecting the line correctly. If the sensors are too high, too low, or not properly aligned, they might not pick up the contrast between the line and the background. Also, if the motors are moving at different speeds or one side is stronger than the other, the robot won’t move straight. Fixing the sensor position and making sure the motors are balanced should help it follow the line properly.

Conclusion

This project aimed to create a simple and affordable line-following robot to show how electric and autonomous technologies can work together. Electric vehicles and self-driving systems can be expensive, but by using basic parts like motors, sensors, and an Arduino, we created a robot that demonstrates these technologies in a fun and easy-to-understand way. The goal was to make learning about these technologies more accessible, proving that they don’t have to be expensive to explore and enjoy.

Acknowledgement

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported us throughout this project. A special thank you to our uncles and fathers for their encouragement and guidance. We are deeply grateful to our parents for purchasing the materials and for their love, help, and patience as we worked on this project. We are especially thankful for each other’s teamwork, hard work, and problem-solving skills that made our line-following robot project a success. We also want to thank our teachers ([Mr. Farooq], [Teacher Najia], and [Mrs. Nermin]) for their guidance and support throughout the process. Additionally, we would like to thank our friends ([Rania], [Ayaat], [Taleen], [Leema], [Sarah], and [Mariya]) for their feedback, encouragement, and valuable contributions to our work. Lastly, we appreciate everyone who has been there for us, offering their help and advice. Your contributions have made this project possible, and we are truly thankful.