How can I improve the stability and sensor placement for my line-following robot?

Hey! We built a robot with wheels and we are doing line follower using 3 black/white sensors to detect a black line. We place the sensor in front of the robot The problem is that the robot is a bit too large for the line, making it hard to stay on track. Its movements are also unstable and sometimes veers off.
Do you have tips on stabilizing movement or optimizing sensor placement?
31 Replies
melta101
melta1014w ago
what is black/white sensor?
melta101
melta1014w ago
IR?
wafa_ath
wafa_ath4w ago
attachment 0
melta101
melta1014w ago
okay an IR, I see
melta101
melta1014w ago
if your robot is a rectangle, what are the 3 sensor's placement?
wafa_ath
wafa_ath4w ago
In the front of the robot
attachment 0
melta101
melta1014w ago
hmm if all 3 are there
melta101
melta1014w ago
how is the line looking like in comparisation to 1 sensor?
wafa_ath
wafa_ath4w ago
The robot is 34 cm long and 15 cm wide, and the line is 1 cm wide and the sensor is also 1cm wide , the line is been detected but the problem when we do the line following the robot goes off track because it's a bit big
wafa_ath
wafa_ath4w ago
I just thought about implementing a PID controller OR changing the sensor to this
attachment 0
melta101
melta1014w ago
i suppose the way you are implement it (regardless of path planning) is to basically have the have mid sensor to be always black, if either side gets black and mid get white-> it rotates the other side and if all three get black, it stops (reaches end line)?
melta101
melta1014w ago
at the moment?
wafa_ath
wafa_ath4w ago
The problem is the line is being detected as you said but when it make a turn it loose the road
melta101
melta1014w ago
was the logic which i said, the one you are following?
wafa_ath
wafa_ath4w ago
Yes
melta101
melta1014w ago
then it should fairly simple
melta101
melta1014w ago
Your contraint are very tights
melta101
melta1014w ago
you will need to space out your side sensors
melta101
melta1014w ago
by how much? that you will need to expiriment
melta101
melta1014w ago
Nitin Zanwar
Robu.in | Indian Online Store | RC Hobby | Robotics
Buy SmartElex RLS-08 Analog & Digital Line Sensor Array Online at R...
Buy the SmartElex RLS-08 Analog & Digital Line Sensor Array for precise line detection and tracking. Perfect for robotic applications. Shop now!
melta101
melta1014w ago
looks good and saves a hassle of glueing each and every sensor/ Calibrating each sensor
wafa_ath
wafa_ath4w ago
I will try doing that tonight
wafa_ath
wafa_ath4w ago
So it 8 IR like am using, do you recommend adding sensor to the 3 am using?
melta101
melta1014w ago
not really, it depend on the precision, you are aiming for
melta101
melta1014w ago
you Could improve the SW instead
melta101
melta1014w ago
for example
melta101
melta1014w ago
if you know the style of track being used
melta101
melta1014w ago
you could design the FW to compliment that
melta101
melta1014w ago
if you know the tracks have only right angled turn and no curve, you could force your robot to do only 90/180 movement.
melta101
melta1014w ago
Welp this is more of a stop gap, but hopefully you get what i mean
wafa_ath
wafa_ath4w ago
Yes i did, but I don't know how the track going to be, am not the one making it so i have to do all cases, i will try what you suggest and give you updates.

Did you find this page helpful?