Automated Guided Vehicle Using Lego Mindstorms

NEW HORIZON COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

AUTHORS

JOVI JOSE, ARJUN.A, RIJU JANARDHAN, BHAGYA LAXMI S.V.

THE CHALLENGE:

To develop an automated guided vehicle, using Lego mindstorms robotic invention system 2.0 and programming it using robolab. Also to determine the distance the vehicle can travel and also the amount of weight or load it can carry.

THE SOLUTION:

Constructing a vehicle sturdy enough to go through the designed path and including time delays and loops in the program to make sure it performs as designed to.

INTRODUCTION:

The modern day industry functions with a wide range of robots which are programmed and assigned for different tasks. One of it is the Automated Guided Vehicle [AGV]. Using Lego mindstorms robotic invention system a automated guided vehicle is built. A visual programming language called ROBOLAB has been designed to create the feedback and control logic for creations that use the RCX, the programmable Lego brick. ROBOLAB was programmed within the Lab View environment, a visual programming application by National Instruments. SYSTEM HARDWARE: The RCX, the programmable brick of the robotic invention system consists of a Hitachi H8/3292 microcontroller with three input ports for light, touch, temperature and IR sensors and three output ports for the motors.

ABSTRACT:

The AUTOMATED GUIDED VEHICLE is built using 4 motors, 3 touch sensors, and 2 light sensors. It follows a predetermined path using line sensing to one end of the path, where it lifts an object, turns 180 degrees and follows the path to the other end of the path. Once there it drops the object at this end using a combination of three touch sensors, then it follows the track back to starting point.

CONCLUSION:

The visual nature of ROBOLAB facilitates the programming process, and the Lego elements that snap together facilitates the construction process for students of all ages. These two systems combined with a handsome task of creating a robotic animal or designing a scientific apparatus create a learning environment where students are highly motivated and engaged.