A Little Help for Brainstorming Ideas

[Otaku]

I am an electronics engineering student and I have to design a car with in the next week that starts from a reference point, then without any human intervention goes forward until it hits a wall ( which it must , shouldn't return without this) and the reverse back to the reference point ( must be at the exactly same place not away from it).

I can definitely use arduino , IR sensor and some distance measuring sensor to build this, but I want to make my own perfect circuit. Since there is a shortage of time, I am here to ask for your help. What circuit ideas could you all give me to build this. Any reference links or any help from any diagrams? How can I design the circuit which works on the exact same description. Please reply as my future depends upon this.

Any help (even as minor as possible) is much appreciable. Thank you all in advance.

 

[Delta Prime]

My driveway is on a slight incline after I drink a case of Budweiser I always hit the wall and it rolls back without any human intervention it's called gravity.
Since this is homework you must make an attempt and we shall guide you, until then you're on your own.

 

[Otaku]

My driveway is on a slight incline after I drink a case of Budweiser I always hit the wall and it rolls back without any human intervention it's called gravity.
Since this is homework you must make an attempt and we shall guide you, until then you're on your own.

Well its not a homework though but the reason I ask for help is that I don't know what circuits to even think about at the first place. I can easily design , test and model the car but the circuit part, somehow I am not able to think of anything. Only if you could just tell me what should I use like only the basics , I can do the rest myself.

So, I have gotten an idea, tell me if its good. I will use L298N , dc motors , relay module , 555IC , ultrasonic sensor for distance measuring. SO the car moves forward and the ultrasonic sensor continuously measures the distance. When the car is too close to the wall, the sensor sends signal to 555IC in a monostable mode, which sends a pulse to the DPDT relay module, switching its state.

• The relay module changes the input polarity to the L298N H-Bridge, reversing the direction of the motors.
• The car starts moving backward. The 555 timer is set to match the time the car took to reach the wall, ensuring it returns to the starting point. Once the timer completes its cycle, the relay switches back, stopping the car at the original starting point.

Any suggestions?

 

[Bluejets]

I doubt that a week will be enough time to design and test any prototype.(should have started a lot sooner methinks)

With the number of possibly inputs/outputs required to achieve what you want, I'm sure an Arduino would be the way to approach the project.

Place to start would be a flowchart I would think.

 

[danadak]

I think Otaku you are on right track, but timer inaccuracy so poor
I would be inclined to use a processor, Arduino, and a stepper
motor as its accuracy would be helpful backing up. Or use two
ultra sonic sensors one facing forward, the other backward,
or one that can be rotated 180 degrees with an RC servo when
backing up.

To program the mcu use http://www.arduinoblocks.com/ if you are
new to programming. Many example projects there to draw from.
Notice the number of sensors it supports, left hand column select
sensors to display types and versions.


Regards, Dana.

 

[Alec_t]

Since the car must hit the wall you could simply count wheel revolutions and use the wall impact to reverse the motor.

 

[Otaku]

I think Otaku you are on right track, but timer inaccuracy so poor
I would be inclined to use a processor, Arduino, and a stepper
motor as its accuracy would be helpful backing up. Or use two
ultra sonic sensors one facing forward, the other backward,
or one that can be rotated 180 degrees with an RC servo when
backing up.

To program the mcu use http://www.arduinoblocks.com/ if you are
new to programming. Many example projects there to draw from.
Notice the number of sensors it supports, left hand column select
sensors to display types and versions.


Regards, Dana.

Thank you Dana for replying to my question. Well, I can easily use and program the arduino , which is my plan B, but for the time being I want to try it without using a microprocessor as it gives me extra points over other submissions. Any ideas apart from using a microcontroller?

 

[Delta Prime]

Hint limit switch in front of vehicle reverse a stepper motor same amount of steps backwards

 

[Otaku]

Hint limit switch in front of vehicle reverse a stepper motor same amount of steps backwards
View attachment 63882

thanks

 

[danadak]

You allowed to put reflective markers on floor, and just use a photocell
to turn off/reverse motors ? Not elegant. Better yet a reflective line on a
floor, but still not elegant.

Or an attractive female to just pick it up and lug it to/from destination ?

Regards, Dana.

 

[Delta Prime]

Or an attractive female to just pick it up

Now you will graduate Valedictorian!

 

[Bluejets]

A limit switch only closes momentarily when the car ( assumedly) hits the wall.
The switch will resume it's "off state" once it comes back off the wall so hence back to the uC to monitor switch states.
Can be overcome with a relay or two or spin the drive motor around mechanically.
If wheel pulses are counted to assume position, one would need to ensure no slip on the drive surface.
Reflective strips appear best but then one also has mechanical considerations such as run-on.
Depends how "accurate" this arrangement has to be.
A ruddy great block of wood each end of the run would be a simple solution without any of the fancy gear.

starts from a reference point, then without any human intervention goes forward until it hits a wall ( which it must , shouldn't return without this) and the reverse back to the reference point ( must be at the exactly same place not away from it).

 

[Delta Prime]

Looks like my dementia is right on time. When dealing with stepper motors any number of logic combinations can be realized to change direction, number of steps.also any type of switch they could be momentary they could be latch they interface with discreet logic Gates AND,OR,NOR so on and so forth.

 

[bidrohini]

I am an electronics engineering student and I have to design a car with in the next week that starts from a reference point, then without any human intervention goes forward until it hits a wall ( which it must , shouldn't return without this) and the reverse back to the reference point ( must be at the exactly same place not away from it).

I can definitely use arduino , IR sensor and some distance measuring sensor to build this, but I want to make my own perfect circuit. Since there is a shortage of time, I am here to ask for your help. What circuit ideas could you all give me to build this. Any reference links or any help from any diagrams? How can I design the circuit which works on the exact same description. Please reply as my future depends upon this.

Any help (even as minor as possible) is much appreciable. Thank you all in advance.

As you are looking forward to making something more perfect than Arduino+obstacle sensor etc, you can move to Raspberry pi+camera+OpenCV.

Social Distancing Detector with OpenCV in Raspberry Pi 4 - The Engineering Projects

Today, we will design an Image processing projects named Social Distancing Detector with OpenCV in Raspberry Pi 4, its necessary in these COVID days.

www.theengineeringprojects.com

 

[Otaku]

You allowed to put reflective markers on floor, and just use a photocell
to turn off/reverse motors ? Not elegant. Better yet a reflective line on a
floor, but still not elegant.

Or an attractive female to just pick it up and lug it to/from destination ?

Regards, Dana.

Nope , the track is pre-made. It must hit the wall to know that the track has been finished.

 

[Otaku]

As you are looking forward to making something more perfect than Arduino+obstacle sensor etc, you can move to Raspberry pi+camera+OpenCV.

Social Distancing Detector with OpenCV in Raspberry Pi 4 - The Engineering Projects

Today, we will design an Image processing projects named Social Distancing Detector with OpenCV in Raspberry Pi 4, its necessary in these COVID days.

www.theengineeringprojects.com

Amazing but OpenCv and Camera are not allowed

 

[Otaku]

Looks like my dementia is right on time. When dealing with stepper motors any number of logic combinations can be realized to change direction, number of steps.also any type of switch they could be momentary they could be latch they interface with discreet logic Gates AND,OR,NOR so on and so forth.

View attachment 63890

THANKS

 

[Otaku]

Now you will graduate Valedictorian!
View attachment 63887

Thanks