Each robot used a BASIC stamp 2 with a variety of sensors and servos to help them complete the tasks. The robot with the overhead arm was used to grab the ball in the center and in the tunnel (one at a time). The other robot was able to grab both the line and corner balls in the same run.

Both robots had sensors to help it to navigate the course, such as light sensors to follow the lines and drop off sensors that detected the edge of the course since it was elevated. The light sensors consisted of an red LED and photo sensor. These were placed under the robot to minimize outside light interference. The drop off sensors were made from an IR LED and IR detector. They would know they were getting to close to the edge if the detector no longer received the IR signal.

Since one of the robots had to have a display for the unknown challenge the display was also used to choose what order the balls were in on the line and corner. The Parallax Ping Ultrasonic sensor was used to know when it was about to reach the ball on the line.

The tunnel/center robot had a touch sensor to detect when it reached the ball in the center. The arm would then go down and the robot would bring it back the top. The robot would then go to the tunnel and use the touch sensor on the arm to know when it hit the tunnel’s back wall and at that point the ball should have hit the touch sensor, or it would when the arm would clamp down.