Getting Started with the RedBot

Contributors: SFUptownMaker

Example

This example uses the RedBot kit hardware and the RedBot library to realize a simple line following robot. We'll break the code down, bit by bit, and analyze it.

The sketch is included with the library located on the Github site, or you can download it here. Copy the folder in the "libraries" directory into your Arduino Sketchbook.

Here is the file if you'd like to check it out without downloading it. For more explanation on what is going on, check out the comments in the sketch.

language:c
// Include the library.
#include <RedBot.h>
#include <Servo.h>
#include "notes.h"

// Instantiate the motors.
RedBotMotors motors;

// Instantiate the accelerometer. It can only be connected to pins A4
//  and A5, since those are the I2C pins for this board.
RedBotAccel xl;

// Instantiate our encoder. 
RedBotEncoder encoder = RedBotEncoder(A2, A3); // left, right

// Instantiate the sensors. Sensors can only be created for analog input
//  pins; the accelerometer uses pins A4 and A5. Also, since A6 and A7
//  can *only* be used as analog inputs, that's a good place for these.
RedBotSensor lSen = RedBotSensor(A6);
RedBotSensor rSen = RedBotSensor(A7);

// Instantiate a couple of whisker switches. Call bump() when one of them
//  hits something. There's no stopping you having a different function for
//  each whisker; I just chose not to.
RedBotBumper lBumper(10, &bump);
RedBotBumper rBumper(11, &bump);

// Instantiate a software serial port. Note that the regular Arduino
//  SoftwareSerial won't work! It steals resources that the sensor
//  inputs on the RedBot need. Also note that the RedBot version has
//  no input options- it automatically connects to the pins used for
//  the onboard XBee header.
RedBotSoftwareSerial swsp;

// Instantiate a servo- this is outside of the RedBot library!
Servo servo;

// Create an alias for our beeper pin, for ease of use.
#define BEEPER 9

// Create an alias for the onboard pushbutton.
#define BUTTON_PIN 12

// Create an alias for the onboard LED.
#define LED_PIN 13

// Constants for the levels that determine detection of the line.
const int bgLevel = 600;
const int lineLevel = 700;

// Flag for bumpers to send the signal that something's wrong and the motors should
//  be disabled for now. Set in the bump functions, volatile so the change is sure
//  to propagate to the loop() function.
volatile boolean bumped = true;

void setup()
{
  // We *probably* won't see the hardware serial data; what good is a robot
  //  that has to be tethered to a computer?
  Serial.begin(57600);
  Serial.println("Hello world!");
  // Set up our two built-in IO devices- the button and the LED.
  pinMode(BUTTON_PIN, INPUT_PULLUP);
  pinMode(LED_PIN, OUTPUT);
  // Play a tone for audible reset detection.
  tone(BEEPER, 2600, 750);
  delay(750);
  // Send out a hello via the XBee, if one is present.
  swsp.begin(9600);
  swsp.print("Hello, world");
  servo.attach(3);
}

void loop()
{
  // These static variables will be initialized once, then remain valid
  //  through each iteration of the loop.

  // Two loop timers; we have one loop that happens four times a second
  //  and one that happens ten times a second.
  static unsigned long loopStart = millis();
  static unsigned long loopStart2 = millis();
  // We're doing a crude low-pass filter on the accelerometer; we want
  //  two consecutive high values so we don't trigger our surprise on
  //  transient events, only on a significant change in angle.
  static int lastXAccel = xl.x;
  // These two variables handle the current position and position
  //  change of the scanning servo motor.
  static int angle = 0;
  static int angleDelta = 5;

  // Wait for the button to be pressed, then turn off the "bumped" flag
  //  so the motors can run. Also, clear the encoders, so we can track
  //  our motion.
  if (digitalRead(BUTTON_PIN) == LOW)
  {
    bumped = false;
    encoder.clearEnc(BOTH);
  }
  // Dump the current distance count on the right wheel to the serial
  //  port, just for something to do.
  swsp.println(encoder.getTicks(RIGHT));
  // If we pass 75 ticks on the right wheel, treat that the same as we
  //  would a bumper hit and stop moving.
  if (encoder.getTicks(RIGHT) > 75) bumped = true;

  // This is our ten-times-a-second loop. It's watching the accelerometer
  //  and, when the bot senses an incline, setting off our surprise.
  if (loopStart2 + 100 < millis())
  {
    loopStart2 = millis();
    lastXAccel = xl.x;
    xl.read();
    if (!bumped)
    {
      if (xl.x > 6000 && lastXAccel > 6000)
      {
        motors.brake();
        horn();
        motors.drive(255);
        delay(5000);
        motors.brake();
        bumped = true; 
      }
    }
  }

  // This is the four-times-a-second loop. It scans a servo from left to
  //  right and back again.
  if (loopStart + 250 < millis())
  {
    loopStart = millis();
    servo.write(angle);
    if (angle + angleDelta > 120) angleDelta *= -1;
    if (angle + angleDelta < 0 ) angleDelta *= -1;
    angle += angleDelta;
  }

  // All this line-follow-y stuff should only be invoked when we are clear to move;
  //  if one of the bump sensors was set off, we should stay still until the user
  //  intervenes for us.
  if (!bumped)
  {
    // Line following code: turn away from any sensor that is above the line
    //  threshold.
    // Case 1: both white. Drive forward!
    if (lSen.read() < bgLevel && rSen.read() < bgLevel) motors.drive(100);
    // Case 2: right sensor is on black. Must recenter.
    if (rSen.read() > lineLevel) 
    {
      motors.rightDrive(-100);
      motors.leftBrake();
    }
    // Case 3: left sensor is on black. Must recenter.
    if (lSen.read() > lineLevel) 
    {
      motors.leftDrive(-100);
      motors.rightBrake();
    }
    // Case 4: both sensors see dark
    if (lSen.read() > lineLevel && rSen.read() >lineLevel)
    {
      motors.leftDrive(-100);
      motors.rightDrive(-100);
    }
  }
  else motors.brake();
}

// This is the function that gets called when we bump something. It
//  stops the motors, signals that a bump occurred (so loop() doesn't
//  just start the motors back up), and issues a nasty little tone to
//  tell the user what's up.
void bump()
{
  motors.brake();
  bumped = true;
  tone(BEEPER, 150, 750);
}

// This is all for our surprise. SN is the length of a sixteenth note,
//  in milliseconds, and EN is the length of an eighth note.
const int SN = 100;
const int EN = 200;
void horn()
{
  tone(BEEPER, noteG5, SN);
  delay(SN);
  tone(BEEPER, noteE5, SN);
  delay(SN);
  tone(BEEPER, noteC5, EN);
  delay(EN);
  tone(BEEPER, noteC5, EN);
  delay(EN);
  tone(BEEPER, noteC5, SN);
  delay(SN);
  tone(BEEPER, noteD5, SN);
  delay(SN);
  tone(BEEPER, noteE5, SN);
  delay(SN);
  tone(BEEPER, noteF5, SN);
  delay(SN);
  tone(BEEPER, noteG5, EN);
  delay(EN);
  tone(BEEPER, noteG5, EN);
  delay(EN);
  tone(BEEPER, noteG5, EN);
  delay(EN);
  tone(BEEPER, noteE5, EN);
  delay(EN);
}