The goal of this project is to develop an intelligent car (iCar) using an Arduino and simple hardware components that is able to follow a line by traversing on flat terrain (i.e. turn right, turn left, move forward, move backward). This project will challenge and strengthen problem solving, engineering, and teamwork skills while also providing a glimpse into real world work experience.
The purpose of this intelligent car is to exit an unknown maze on its own without human input by analyzing its surroundings and processing that data. The intelligent car should be able to solve any maze it is put into.
The creators of this system are a group of three aspiring Grade 12 engineering students, Ronald, Quentin, and Nathan.
The iCar is composed of simple hardware components. There is a gearbox connected to two DC motors that drive two wheels. iCar does not have four wheels like a conventional car, instead being composed of two wheels (driven by the motors) and a ball caster to allow for smooth turning. The main “brain” of the iCar is an Arduino along with a motor chip (L293D) attached to the breadboard. The components connected to the breadboard include two DC motors, three photoresistors, and three LED lights. The DC motors control the the movement of the car (right, left, forward, backward), the photoresistors take in input of the light levels of the ground, and the LEDs illuminate the ground around the photoresistors for more accurate readings by eliminating the effects of small fluctuations in the colour of the ground or shade.