Master the programming skills of Arduino obstacle avoidance trolley, and take your creative project to the next level!

In the world of Arduino obstacle avoidance trolleys, programming is not just a skill, it's an art.

By writing efficient code, we can allow these small robots to flexibly shuttle through various environments and complete complex tasks.

This article will take you from basic to advanced, step by step to master key skills such as obstacle avoidance algorithm, sensor integration and motion control, to make your creative projects even better.

I. Basics: Know your tools.

First, we need to have a basic understanding of the Arduino platform.

Arduino is an open source hardware platform that allows users to control microcontrollers through a simple programming language (such as C + +).

For beginners, Arduino UNO is a very good entry option because it is easy to use and affordable.

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1. Installation and configuration of Arduino IDE.

Before you can start programming, you need to download and install the Arduino IDE.

The software is free and supports multiple operating systems.

Once the installation is complete, you can connect the Arduino board to the computer via a USB cable.

// 这是一个简单的示例代码，用于点亮LED灯
void setup() {
  pinMode(13, OUTPUT); // 设置数字引脚13为输出模式
}

void loop() {
  digitalWrite(13, HIGH); // 点亮LED灯
  delay(1000);             // 等待一秒
  digitalWrite(13, LOW);  // 熄灭LED灯
  delay(1000);             // 再等待一秒
}

II. Sensor selection and integration.

The core of the obstacle avoidance car is its ability to perceive the surrounding environment.

Commonly used sensors include ultrasonic sensors, infrared sensors and lidar.

Here, we will focus on the use of ultrasonic sensors.

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1. The principle of ultrasonic sensor.

Ultrasonic sensors calculate distance by emitting ultrasonic waves and receiving reflected signals.

This sensor is ideal for measuring the distance of an object, as ultrasonic waves travel at different speeds in different media, allowing the location of obstacles to be calculated.

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2. Connect the ultrasonic sensor.

Connect the VCC pin of the ultrasonic sensor to the 5V pin of the Arduino, the GND pin is grounded, the Trig pin is connected to the digital pin 8, and the Echo pin is connected to the digital pin 9.

const int trigPin = 8;
const int echoPin = 9;
long duration;
int distance;

void setup() {
  pinMode(trigPin, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(echoPin, INPUT);
  Serial.begin(9600); // 初始化串口通信
}

void loop() {
  digitalWrite(trigPin, LOW);
  delayMicroseconds(2);
  digitalWrite(trigPin, HIGH);
  delayMicroseconds(10);
  digitalWrite(trigPin, LOW);
  duration = pulseIn(echoPin, HIGH);
  distance = duration * 0.034 / 2; // 计算距离（单位：厘米）
  Serial.print("Distance: ");
  Serial.print(distance);
  Serial.println(" cm");
  delay(1000);
}

III. Design of obstacle avoidance algorithm.

With the sensor data, the next step is how to control the movement of the car based on this data.

The core idea of the obstacle avoidance algorithm is to determine the forward direction or stop of the car according to the distance information returned by the sensor.

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1. Simple obstacle avoidance logic.

When an obstacle is detected ahead, the car should stop or turn.

Here we use a very simple logic: if the distance ahead is less than a certain threshold, stop; otherwise, move on.

const int forwardThreshold = 20; // 设定前进阈值为20厘米

void loop() {
  getDistance(); // 获取距离信息
  if (distance < forwardThreshold) {
    stopCar(); // 如果距离小于阈值，则停止
  } else {
    moveForward(); // 否则继续前进
  }
}

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2. Advanced obstacle avoidance strategies.

In order to improve the obstacle avoidance effect, we can introduce more sensors, such as infrared sensors to detect the situation on the left and right sides.

In this way, the car can not only avoid obstacles ahead, but also go around them.

const int leftThreshold = 15; // 左侧阈值
const int rightThreshold = 15; // 右侧阈值

void loop() {
  getDistance(); // 获取距离信息
  if (distance < forwardThreshold) {
    if (leftDistance < leftThreshold && rightDistance > rightThreshold) {
      turnLeft(); // 如果左侧没有障碍物，则左转
    } else if (rightDistance < rightThreshold && leftDistance > leftThreshold) {
      turnRight(); // 如果右侧没有障碍物，则右转
    } else {
      stopCar(); // 如果两侧都有障碍物，则停止
    }
  } else {
    moveForward(); // 否则继续前进
  }
}

IV. Implementation of motion control.

The final step is to translate the above logic into actual actions.

This involves the use of motor drive modules.

Common driving methods include L298N motor driver and TB6612 FNG motor driver.

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1. Use of L298N motor driver.

The L298N is a dual H-bridge motor driver that can control two DC motors at the same time.

We will use it to implement the functions of forward, backward, left and right turns of the car.

#define ENA 3
#define IN1 4
#define IN2 5
#define ENB 6
#define IN3 7
#define IN4 8

void setup() {
  pinMode(ENA, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(IN1, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(IN2, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(ENB, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(IN3, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(IN4, OUTPUT);
}

void moveForward() {
  digitalWrite(IN1, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(IN2, LOW);
  digitalWrite(IN3, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(IN4, LOW);
  analogWrite(ENA, 255); // 设置速度为最大值
  analogWrite(ENB, 255); // 设置速度为最大值
}

void stopCar() {
  digitalWrite(IN1, LOW);
  digitalWrite(IN2, LOW);
  digitalWrite(IN3, LOW);
  digitalWrite(IN4, LOW);
}

V. Summary and Outlook.

Through the study of this article, you have mastered the basic programming skills of Arduino obstacle avoidance trolley.

From the selection and integration of sensors to the design of obstacle avoidance algorithms to the implementation of motion control, every step is the key to building a successful project.

Hope this knowledge can help you achieve greater success in future projects!