Adwick’s Blogs

In October, we worked hard on improving our micro-mouse project, focusing on connecting the motors with the IR sensors. We started by cleaning up and organising the breadboard to make sure all the connections were stable. Once the hardware was set, we adjusted the motors to respond accurately, helping the micro-mouse move better. After testing everything, we began designing a new version of our PCB to make the setup smaller and more efficient. Overall, October was a productive month, bringing us closer to completing our micro-mouse.

During November the team created a functioning IR circuit on a PCB. The others built the circuit on the breadboard where they had to adjust resistor values and select IR sensors with matching ranges.

Each member designed a PCB, after reviewing them our team leader selected Rhys’ for its compact layout and how well-organised it was. Moody etched the board, now it’s ready for further shaping and drilling which is what I’ll be doing. Our website is nearly complete, and we’ve programmed the micromouse’s wheel RPM control, which will support obstacle avoidance in future tests.

The team successfully constructed the micromouse, integrating an obstacle avoidance system using the PCB design. Initially we faced challenges which involved achieving straight line movement, but by testing and swapping different motors we resolved the issue. We then refined the obstacle avoidance system by calibrating the sensors and optimising the software to ensure quick and accurate responses to detect obstacles. This allowed us to improve the hardware and software’s performance.

In February, the team worked on white line-following sensors. We soldered the components onto the sensor strips and tested if they worked using a mulitimeter. The sensor’s resistance also changes when the light changes from dark to light, which showed that it worked properly. We also worked on the website more to make it presentable and organised.

Unfortunately Adwick left.

…