Robu - India's Innovative Electronics Community

The lucky winner of Tech Geek's fourth Question (Everyday IoT: Your Favorites!) is @Dipanshu

The Fifth question for the Tech Geek competition is,

What was the first robot you ever built or programmed, and what inspired you to take on that project? What challenges did you face, and what key lessons did you learn from that experience?

Share your story and inspire others in our robotics community! Feel free to include your experiences, images of the projects, component list, challenges, and unique insights if you've built your project.

Submit your answers by Tuesday, October 15th, 2024, by evening. One lucky winner will be randomly selected to receive 250 Robu Points! We’ll announce the winner the following week. Good luck!

Note: AI-generated answers are not allowed

The first robot I’m developing is an ESP32-based robotic arm, which I control through a web interface. This arm is equipped with four servos, enabling precise movement and control. It also includes a record and play button, allowing me to record movements and replay them later.

Inspiration:-
I was inspired to take on this project by my interest in robotics and the potential of IoT technology. I wanted to create something that could combine both elements and demonstrate real-time control over a robotic system.

Challenges:-
Throughout the project, I faced several challenges:
1.Connectivity:-Ensuring stable Wi-Fi connectivity for the ESP32 was crucial for smooth operation.
2.Programming: Writing the code to handle servo control, integrate the web interface, and implement the record/play feature required a lot of debugging and iteration.
3.Calibration: Achieving precise movements involved fine-tuning the servos and their positions.

Key Lessons:-
From this experience, I learned the importance of patience and troubleshooting. I discovered how valuable it is to break down problems into smaller, manageable parts and to stay persistent when faced with setbacks. Additionally, I gained a deeper understanding of how web interfaces can enhance user interaction with robotic systems.

Below, I’ve attached photo of my project.

My first project is an "automatic garage door open and close". By that project i was inspired try and research the project until you succeed, realizing that overthinking can stick at a point. Instead, the better to start working, and solutions will you find when you face challenges.
I was used the compnent I this project
1 Arduino nano
2 servo motor
3 two ir sensors
4 a toy car
One major challenge I faced was an error when uploading code to the Arduino Nano iam so upset i thought the connection is wrong I made but every thing is good and i worried about my laptop then I searched on YouTube about this error. At first, I didn’t know much about the Arduino environment, watched YouTube tutorials. Then , I found the solution I needed to install the CH340 driver on my laptop.

From this experience, I learned that when starting a project, it's important to first make plan. Work on it, test it, and if it doesn’t work, check and test the each part individually. Then you will definitely find the problem replace that particular thing, reassemble everything. If you stay persistent , you will get the result you want.
In this project i have implemented that we can open the garage from inside also.a simple trick is I have placed ir sensors placed one is outside and another one is inside of the garage

The first robot I made was a simple line follower. I was inspired after watching a few videos about self-guided robots, and thought, “Why not take a shot?”. At the time, it seemed like an interesting challenge.

There are a few things I didn’t expect, especially with the sensors. The infrared I used didn’t see the black dots very well, depending on how high it was on the surface, so I had to constantly adjust and reposition it. Another big challenge was speed—if the robot went too fast, it would lose the line, but if it went too slow, it didn’t work properly.

One of the biggest things I learned was how small tweaks can make a big difference. Also, I understand that proper sensor placement is key, and experimenting slowly saves a lot of time in the long run. It definitely taught me a lot about patience!

My first robot was was Wireless NRF24L01 with Joysticks Remote Control 4 wheels robot car for Forward and Reverse, Left and Right Steering.

The things which make me to inspire was Real World Application because using NRF24L01 module is complete wireless remote control Robot because it has long range connection as it work as a transceiver,one in joystick make transmitter and other on robot work as receiver, its advantage is no loss of signal if I use esp32 that is wifi based and need mobile also with application, and also better than bluetooth based remote control Robot because we need mobile and bluetooth module on car which sometimes don't communicate with mobile's bluetooth.

We can use this Nrf24l01 based robot where there is no internet signals, we also don't need to use mobile for bluetooth based robot steering.

Using Nrf24l01 transceiver on joystick and on robot is best and indepen

The challenges I faced in both Software part that is coding and also with the hardware part,
Challenge in Software pare : I was using PWM which Controls the maximum speed of my motors, which is decreasing my Motors it is not rotating at the 200rpm, also in code to adjust the wheel low/high for left and right steering.

Challenge in Hardware part : While using NRF24L01 module I was not using capacitor in both the module, without connecting capacitor on Vcc and Gnd , the current was fluctuating very much due to this transmitter and receiver part is not working, but after adding capacitor at both transmitter and receiver 's vcc and gnd pin makes perfect communication.
Also with 200rpm and 7.4v 2600mah battery my robot was unable to climb on 30 degree climb,
So I changed to 300rpm and 12v 2600mah battery which helps my Robot's jump very perfectly and landed smoothly.
The key lesson I have learnt from this never feel failure if one thing didn't work, but literally it means facing problem and working on it will increase your skillset for the next task.

I must use capacitors in NRF24L01 module, I must increase the speed more if I have some inclination or if my robot is climbing somewhere.

Congratulations to Our Tech Geek Challenge Winner!

Dear Participants,

We are thrilled to announce the lucky winner of our Tech Geek question: First Robot: What Did You Build?

Congratulations to Vaibhavsul!

Mr. Vaibhavsul impressed us with their innovative project experience he gained. As a reward, Mr. Vaibhav will receive 250 robu points. Thank you to everyone who participated and made this competition a success!.

We hold these competitions every week, so be prepared to grab the next prize!