Datasheet

BOE Shield-Bot Navigation • Chapter 4
Robotics with the BOE Shield-Bot • 139
case 'h': // c contains 'h'
servoLeft.writeMicroseconds(1550); // Half speed forward
servoRight.writeMicroseconds(1450);
break;
 Add ten or so h characters to your maneuvers character array. Keep in mind
that they have to be added to the left of the
s character for the sketch to get to
them.
 Experiment a little, and add another
case statement for a different maneuver,
such as pivot-backward-left, then add some characters for the new maneuver to
your array string. Can you see how this is a convenient way to build sequences of
maneuvers?
Chapter 4 Summary
This chapter was all about robot navigation, experimenting with many different
programming approaches and employing some robotics and engineering skills:
Programming
• Simplifying navigation by creating custom functions for frequently-used
maneuver code, and how to call those functions
• How to use counted
for loops with step increments in maneuver code
• What parameters are, and how to write functions and function calls that use them
• How a local variable can be created as a parameter in a function declaration
• How to declare, initialize, and use the Arduino language’s
int and char arrays,
taking advantage of the Arduino library’s
sizeof function
• How to manage program flow control, using
do-while and switch/case
• How to use the post increment operator (
++) in conditional loops
• How to use the not-equal comparison operator (
!=) as a condition in a loop
• Writing sketches to play a sequence of notes on the piezospeaker
• Writing sketches using several different program strategies to perform the same
maneuver sequences
Robotics Skills
• How basic rolling-robot maneuvers are accomplished by controlling wheel speed
and direction
• What the differences are between gradual turns, pivot-turns, and rotating-in-
place turns, and what wheel speed/direction combinations make these turns.
• What speed ramping is, how to use it so your robot moves smoothly into and out
of maneuvers, and how ramping is beneficial to your BOE Shield-Bot
• What dead reckoning is, in the context of entry-level robotics navigation