RE: Robot Tour C

[vyells]

I am new to this event and was wondering if anybody knows how to get started with Robot Tour. I looked at previous forums, but does anybody have any good ideas for getting a kick-start for this event this year? Thanks!

[brian9640]

A good starting point is to purchase one of the many robotic kits available online. A team does not need to purchase the high-end kits like a VEX. The lower cost kits like a Romi from Pololu.com or the DIY from topfinishkits.com will preform just as well. Many of the top teams at Nationals were using the lower cost kits.

To be clear, purchasing a good robot kit will not guarantee a good finish at a tournament. The good robot kit is only a small part of what is required. I have seen many teams compete with excellent robot kit and placed poorly.

A team needs a good program that accurately controls the speed and position of the robot. I recommend a team works on controlling the position of the robot on the track first. Once the robot accurately drives around the track, then work on methods to adjust the run time.

[vyells]

Great, thanks! Would you be able to tell me what software would work best overall? I am familiar with the Arduino IDE. Would that work if I plan to use an Arduino microcontroller?

[brian9640]

Arduino is a good solution for this event. Many of the available commercial kits are based on Arduino.

The DIY kit on TopFinishKits.com includes a sample program and wiring diagram for an Arduino. FYI, the sample program needs improvements as it is only provided as a starting point.