Before we directly jump into making our very own line following robot, let us first understand what a line following robot is, how it works, and why it is useful.
All About Line Following Robots - Overview
Line following robots are simple, they follow a line drawn on a surface. Just like how trains follow along a set track, they follow a dark line painted on the ground or a surface. They work by using infrared signals to detect a dark line on a bright surface or a brightly colored line on a dark surface. The line can also allow the robot to make turns.
Imagine a simple cookie factory - When the cookies are made and packed into boxes, a robot collects all these boxes and loads them onto trucks.
The robots will follow a path in the factory to carry the boxes from one place to another. These paths are drawn or painted so the robot can follow them.
Why Line Following Robots?
Line following robots is very easy to build and easy to correct or maintain. Once built and turned on, they start to move along the path. This can be useful for tasks which need to be repeated often like in factories.
Applications
Line following robots has many applications. Some of them are:
They are used in factories to transport materials from one place to another.
Line following robots is also used in automatic cars in museums, malls, or amusement parks to transport people.
Robots that automatically clean the floor of a room.