PARTS Mini-Sumo Robot Kit: Sensor Options

• Overview of kit
  • Main board
    • Parts list
    • Schematic
    • Layout
  • Sensor board
    • Parts list
    • Schematic
    • Layout
  • Sensor options
• Purchasing the kit
• Building the kit
  • Building the main circuit board
  • Building the sensor board
  • Obtaining and modifying servos
  • Building the mechanics
  • Line sensor assembly
  • Programming cable assembly
  • Final assembly
  • Initial testing
• Programming the robot
• Tips and tricks
• Expansion ideas and alternate uses

Sensors for the Mini-Sumo Kit

A Mini-Sumo robot can work without any sensors other than the white-line sensor. However, by adding a proximity sensor, the robot can find his opponent and thus have a better chance of winning. Otherwise, the robot runs blind, and can only win by shear luck.

A proximity sensor is the technical term for a device which can detect the presence of another object nearby. There are many possible methods for performing such detection, including measuring reflected light (infrared), reflected sound (sonar), or reflected microwaves (radar).

The Mark II robot kit includes a low-cost proximity sensor board and all necessary parts, including the hard to find Sharp IS471F sensors, at half the cost of the proximity sensors in the Mark I kit. However, this low-cost sensor board does require assembly.

Here are some other ideas for sensors for the kit:

• bumper switches
• IRPD board (from the Robot Store, or build one using plans (Dallas Personal Robotics Group's or Dennis Clark's); uses an Infrared Remote Control module and two Infrared LEDs to detect objects; black or IR absorbing robots are hard to see
• Sharp GP2D15 sensors like were used last year; approx. $13.50 each, from Acroname; can detect when an object is 10" or closer fairly reliably; black/IR absorbing robots are hard to see
• Sonar; modules are available from Acroname and Mr. Robot, among others; can see any robot, no matter what color