Question 1 - What tasks have been completed, and what tasks remain???
For the hardware parts for the body, I have completed the whole body except for some modifications of parts which are necessary in order for the body to be more balanced. As for the software, I have tried using a simple software to test out the movement of the body. The result was quite satisfactory.
Hardware : Modify a little on the structure to make it more stable when it is moving.
Software : Adding a sensor and reprogram the body to move and avoid obstruction.
Question 2 - What has worked???
The motor board was programmed and able to function without fail. When the push button sends a signal to the motor board, the motor board runs the motors to move the body. Currently the body is able to move forward and backward without falling.
Question 3 - What hasn't???
I was supposed to make the body to stop when the sensor (mount on the front of the body) detects obstacle and will turn away from the obstacle and continue moving forward. I was planning to make the body do more actions but before that I will need to program it to work as what is mentioned earlier on.
Question 4 - What questions need to be resolved???
As I am taught and trained in Mechanical Engineering so I am not well versed in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. The main problem that I am facing is doing programming of the boards using Arduino and AVR-C programming. I also faced some problems with designing of the board but I am getting better now with it. I will need to program the body to move the way that I have designed. I will tried out with simple programs before I make it more complicated and finally to create the program that I want.
Question 5 - What will happen when???
If the program is successful, the body will be able to move forward with the left and right motors turning clockwise. The sensor on the body when detects obstacle within a distance, the left and right motors will stop moving. The left and right motors will turn reverse direction which the left motor will turn clockwise and right motor will turn anti-clockwise. This allows the body to turn right and move away from the obstacle and continue moving forward until the body encounter the next obstacle.
Question 6 - What have you learned???
I have to say that I really learned a lot of things and I am glad that I was sent for this course by my school. The most valuable things that I have learned in this course is Electrical and Electronic stuffs which I have never get a chance to try it out after learning the basics in school , this course makes me learned and trained to do the Electrical and Electronic stuffs. Stuffs like dealing with designing of PCB, using PCB milling machine to mill the board, performing soldering of SMD on PCB and finally to the toughest of all, Programming. I am not really well prepared for the course but I will be continued to trained myself further more in Electrical and Electronic after even I have completed the course.