Software Foundations & Robotics Integration with Arduino
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July 6-10 & 13-17 | Ages 13-18 | Robotics
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Software Foundations & Robotics Integration with Arduino
Camper's Age: Ages 13-18
Camp Topic: Robotics
Camp Week: Weeks 6-7 (July 6-10 & July 13-17)
Gaming: No gaming
Software Foundations & Robotics Integration with Arduino
Ages 13–15 | 5-Day Full-Day or 10-Day Half-Day
Assemble a Parallax ShieldBot from the ground up, program it in Arduino C, wire analog and digital sensors, integrate a vision camera, and code autonomous navigation — culminating in a parking challenge where your robot recognizes its assigned spot by sight. Curriculum developed by the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy (SMART Robotics Technician Program).
Full-Day Schedule (5 Days, 4 sessions/day)
Day 1 — System Validation & ShieldBot Assembly
| Session | Project |
|---|---|
| AM 1 | Inventory all kit components (Arduino Uno, Board of Education Shield, servos, sensors, camera); run continuity and voltage checks with a multimeter |
| AM 2 | Assemble the Mobility subsystem — mount continuous-rotation servos, attach wheels, wire motor connections |
| PM 1 | Integrate the Power and Control subsystems — battery pack, voltage regulator, Arduino Uno seated on the Shield |
| PM 2 | Run diagnostic programs to validate each subsystem: LED blink, servo sweep, serial monitor output |
Day 2 — Motor Control & Basic Navigation
| Session | Project |
|---|---|
| AM 1 | Arduino IDE walkthrough; write and upload a program to drive both servos — forward, reverse, spin left, spin right |
| AM 2 | Code precise maneuvers using timing and speed values; complete a measured straight-line and square-turn challenge |
| PM 1 | Introduce loops and functions — refactor navigation code into reusable movement functions |
| PM 2 | Navigation Challenge: program the ShieldBot to autonomously traverse a taped course using sequenced function calls |
Day 3 — Sensors & Decision-Making
| Session | Project |
|---|---|
| AM 1 | Wire whisker switches (digital sensors); write code using conditionals to detect and react to left/right bumps |
| AM 2 | Obstacle Avoidance Bot: combine whisker input with motor control — back up and turn on contact |
| PM 1 | Wire a phototransistor (analog sensor); read light levels via analogRead(); use variables and comparators to threshold values |
| PM 2 | Light-Following Bot: code a control loop that steers the ShieldBot toward the brightest light source |
Day 4 — Vision System Integration
| Session | Project |
|---|---|
| AM 1 | Mount and wire the vision camera (PixyCam / HuskyLens); configure the I2C connection; run a test sketch to stream detected objects to Serial Monitor |
| AM 2 | Train the camera to recognize colors — code a program that tracks a colored object and prints its coordinates in real time |
| PM 1 | Vision-based navigation — write a control loop that steers the ShieldBot to follow a colored object across the floor |
| PM 2 | Train shape and object signatures; code the ShieldBot to distinguish between multiple targets and respond differently to each |
Day 5 — Parking Challenge & Final Integration
| Session | Project |
|---|---|
| AM 1 | Store a unique camera signature for a parking spot; code the recognition routine that compares live feed to the stored signature |
| AM 2 | Parking Challenge: ShieldBot scans multiple spots, identifies its match, and drives into it autonomously |
| PM 1 | Final Integration Challenge: combine bump sensors, light sensor, and vision camera — navigate a course, avoid obstacles, and park at the correct target |
| PM 2 | Demo day — teams present their autonomous routines; discuss real-world applications in warehouse robotics and autonomous vehicles |
Half-Day Schedule (10 Days, 2 sessions/day)
| Days | Content |
|---|---|
| Days 1–2 | System Validation & ShieldBot Assembly (Full-Day 1 content) |
| Days 3–4 | Motor Control & Basic Navigation (Full-Day 2 content) |
| Days 5–6 | Sensors & Decision-Making (Full-Day 3 content) |
| Days 7–8 | Vision System Integration (Full-Day 4 content) |
| Days 9–10 | Parking Challenge & Final Integration (Full-Day 5 content) |
What You'll Build
- Fully assembled Parallax ShieldBot from component subsystems
- Motor control and precision navigation programs in Arduino C
- Obstacle avoidance bot using whisker switch conditionals
- Light-following bot using analog phototransistor and control loop
- Vision-trained color/object tracker with camera integration
- Autonomous parking system using stored camera signatures
- Combined autonomous routine integrating all sensors and vision
Tools & Technologies
- Arduino Uno & IDE (C/C++)
- Parallax ShieldBot (Board of Education Shield)
- PixyCam / HuskyLens AI Vision Sensor
- Whisker switches, phototransistors, continuous-rotation servos
- Digital multimeter
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