2024 ORC Grid Runner

The 2024 Grid Runner challenge is very difficult for many reasons. We had to solve many problems such as faulty colour detection, inaccurate ultrasonic sensors, motor control, and algorithm design.

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Inspiration

Last year, we participated in the Moon Rover challenge and got 3rd place. We were using Scratch to make our code. It was very hard to use so we decided to find a better alternative. We were inspired by a YouTube video that told us all about Python and since we already had some prior Python knowledge, we decided to switch.

What it does

The Grid Runner 2424 is very different from the last year's competition. We are not able to see where the obstacles are and we only know where the survivor group is. We have to rely on our algorithms to find our way to the survivor group and back.

How we built it

We started to use VSCode to build the Python functions. We then tested out our code in the mBlock app.

Challenges we ran into

  1. The ultrasonic sensors were giving false readings up close.
  2. The light sensors were extremely sensitive.
  3. Our recursive algorithms made the robot take very inefficient paths.
  4. Modelling the grid.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We managed to solve all 4 of our issues.

  1. We backed up the robot 5cm so it's more accurate.
  2. We added tape around the light sensors so that it isn't as sensitive.
  3. We made a shortcut algorithm to find more efficient routes.
  4. We made a row matrix and a column matrix to map the grid.

We switched to Python programming for route calculation and utilized recursion algorithms for finding routes.

What we learned

Python programming is very powerful in robotics for determining the best available route. An accurate ultrasonic scan and a stable route are more important than finding the fastest route.

What's next for 2024 ORC Grid Runner

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