How To Make a Line Following Robot?

In this era of technology where automation has sky-rocketed in the past few years, the importance of the concept of robotics has encountered rapid growth. The idea of robotics is being exposed to kids as it brings in the effective practice of the STEM concept of learning. The STEM concept has gained traction in the education sector for its effective ways of learning practically and includes the discipline of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. 

These subjects are complex and require exposure from a young age so that they are soaked in well, and the foundation of these subjects is strong, and the basics are clear. Several young kids struggle with the complexity of these subjects and find it tough to learn and implement them. That is why the STEM concept comes into play and helps kids absorb the knowledge well and learn with the power of implementing the concept that plays a major role in what the child learns.      

Importance of Robotics for Kids:

Robotics for kids as a program is very beneficial as it gives them the knowledge of how robots are built and what they are used for. This creates a sense of achievement and builds confidence in kids among their peers. By building robots, kids get hands-on experience and apply the concepts of STEM in real life. Learning with STEM also prepares kids for further complexity of these subjects, and understanding them on higher levels is no longer tough. When kids learn new things and get better at them, they believe in themselves and their ideas and learn the most crucial implementation lesson. With learning methods like these, kids are not afraid to experiment and learn to embrace mistakes.

Children get used to dedicating themselves to tasks and build focus with STEM learning as there is enough room to make errors, learn from them and try again. Kids believe in never giving up and face tough challenges. Apart from these lessons, they are introduced to programming, mathematics concepts, and creativity are major benefits in robotics for kids. Learning robotics for kids is very important as it is our future.   

So, here’s how to make a Line Following Robot!

Let’s Start out by listing what you will need to make your own Line following Robot.

Components:

• Switches, Solder gun and Solder Wire – to assemble and fix the components on the Printed Circuit Board (PCB)
• LDR- A light dependant resistor which will be the main component that will help the Robot follow a particular line
• Transistor BC557 – helps to send signals to the brain of the Robot
• LED- Light Emitting Diode – To detect the path of the line following Robot
• Resistor – To limit the current on all the components
• Wheel and Motor – To help the line following Robot move further
• ICLM358 – This is component is the Brain of Line follower Robot
• Power supply unit - Switch it on for the Robot to start moving

Now Gather your Components and Start to build! Here are some steps to start:

Step 1 – The first step is to Observe your PCB (Printed Circuit Board), which will be the base on which your line following Robot will be built. Then take all the components mentioned and assemble them carefully on it. This will help you to understand the fittings on the board and choose the correct components for soldering.

Step 2 – Before you place all the components on the PCB, you must make sure that all the terminals of those components are in the correct direction. Assemble the components one by one on the PCB and perform the soldering as per instructions on the PCB. Note- Perform soldering under the supervision of an adult and take all safety measures.

Step 3 - When you begin to solder the components to your board, make sure to re-check the positive terminal and negative terminal of the indication LED, Capacitor and the sensor LED. Check the value of the resistor while assembling on the PCB, carefully connect to the resistors relevant value given on the PCB.

Step 4 - Now simply attach the wheel to the motor and connect the battery to the board. Test your robot by making a black line on a white surface for it to follow. Due to the LDR, the Robot will sense the black line will and move as per its direction.

What you Must Know:

• After soldering, the extra terminal of the LED is cut, making it tough to determine the positive & negative terminals of the LED. An easy way to determine that is if the LED. If the LED has two leads with leads that are equal in length, you can look at the metal plate inside the LED. The smaller plate indicates the positive lead; the larger plate belongs to the negative lead.
• Similarly, the capacitor also has negative and positive terminals. To determine the sides, the outer part of the capacitor indicated the positive and negative terminals, so check for the shaded portion to determine correctly.
• Make sure to put the black line over a white surface only as the LDR will only sense the black line on the floor as it is easy sensors required for line following robot to sense the dark colour on a light surface.

Building the line following Robot kit is fun and educational and can also be used for a number of line following robot applications. It is a joy-ride filled with valuable lessons of technology and science. With the goal of making learning fun & exciting ThinkerPlace has a range of educational STEM DIY kits! With their STEM DIY Line Following Robot, you can learn how to build your own Robot and use the lessons in real life. Their kits come with easy-to-understand concept manuals, safety manuals, and an online Learning Management System (LMS) with interactive videos that are helpful in understanding the making of the kit. With ThinkerPlace STEM DIY kits, you can expand your skills by building them yourself and learning in real-time. The kits are well-researched and child-friendly, with essential safety manuals to keep in mind safe learning.