This was a project I both LOVED and HATED. There was so much frustration involved in getting it to work, but the euphoria of watching it perform, combined with the laughs with my partner along the way made it a project I will forever remember and cherish!
From Schematic to Circuit Board
So, in previous posts and projects, the process of designing the circuit based on the schematic didn’t seem too bad. Afterall, it was just seeing which connections between certain components had to be made, and making it on the digital screen…
This project showed me how hard it could really be—my partner and I had to be careful to arrange the components in a way that would minimize the amount of wire needed later on, while also making sure to make ALL the needed connections. Since this project could be divided into two circuit boards (using Terminal Blocks), my partner and I each took a half of the circuit schematic.
Had take this:
To design these:
Overall, it felt like a mix between playing both Flow Free and Untangle to Knots at the same time. A true challenge to my puzzle-loving mind!
Excerpts of The Building Process!
Check out these slides to get some snapshots of a day working on the bot, from the circuitry to construction!
THE FINAL RESULTS 🙂
Here’s pictures of our finished bot! The first image is without the lid so you can see the circuitry, the second is our bot fully ready for battle. The last image on the right is Terminator in the ring, prepared to FIGHT!!
Wanna see Terminator in action? Here’s two videos of Terminator, one in the fighting ring (a bit of a long video because the two bots couldn’t find each other for a while…) and a second video with Terminator out in the wild, searching for prey! (aka my partner herding our bot around her basement)
Closing Thoughts
Overall, this was such a fun project. I did get a bit desperate and frustrated at times, but it made the victories all the sweeter! I can’t wait to use what I’ve learned in this for future projects, such as the Gr.12 Computer Engineering project, the Firefighter…
KD Tech Days 
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