Elegoo Modification
Detailed in my earlier blogs, my obstacle course assignment is nearly complete. This post details the modifications I have made to my elegoo tumbler to help it navigate through the course.
The assignment requires me to programme my elegoo to make its way through the course and back. Taking a look at the elegoo’s given code, I knew I would have to use a much more simplified approach that did not require the constant balancing of the device. Disabling the self-balancing feature of the elegoo, its body falls over(obviously). To stop this I needed to add a balancing component.
Poking about cupboards I came across a wheel from an office chair. It rolled smoothly and was an appropriate size for the elegoo. We had been told by our professor that the only piece of the model that could be altered was the front plate. Using masking tape and a pencil, I measured into the centre of the plate and used a hand drill to create a slot for the wheel to fit into.
With the wheel attached I could its effect. After uploading some basic code that excluded the self-balancing function, the robot was very sensitive and would fall backwards when the motors moved. To stop this, I drilled another hole further away from the main body of the elegoo (hence the multiple holes drilled). To further increase the downforce on the front plate, I added a small metal joint around the top of the wheel. I taped this part to the front plate and tested the elegoo again. This time the elegoo was a lot smoother the added weight put more force on the attached wheel, making it less flimsy and more secure.
The final stage of the obstacle course involves catching the ping pong balls from the launcher. For this feature I attached a plastic bowl from my kitchen with a piece of kitchen roll to the top plate of the elegoo using tape.
The last task for the assignment is the programming of the elegoo and a video displaying all components working together. All due Monday evening, not long to go!
