Setup

User interface

Bulebule user interface uses as input:

  • A single button (differentiates between long and short press)

  • The IR sensors (detects when your finger passes near the sensor)

And as output:

  • The speaker

  • Blue Pill’s integrated green LED

  • On-board red LEDs

Right after it is turned on, Bulebule can be configured and instructed to perform different tasks following the diagram bellow:

digraph finite_state_machine {
    size="8,14"; ratio = fill;
    node [shape = doublecircle,style=filled,fillcolor=lightblue]; Idle "Go!";
    node [shape = diamond,style=filled,fillcolor=white]; "Saved\nmaze?";
    node [shape = ellipse,style=filled,fillcolor=lightgrey]; "Start?" "Reuse?" "Goal?" "Speed?" "Ready?";
    node [shape = box,style=filled,fillcolor=white];
    Idle -> "Start?";
    "Start?" -> "Start?" [ label = "No input" ];
    "Start?" -> "Saved\nmaze?" [ label = "Press" ];
    "Saved\nmaze?" -> "Green LED on" [ label = "Yes" ];
    "Saved\nmaze?" -> "Green LED off" [ label = "No" ];
    "Green LED on" -> "Reuse?";
    "Reuse?" -> "Reuse?" [ label = "No input" ];
    "Reuse?" -> "Clear saved maze" [ label = "Long press" ];
    "Reuse?" -> "Set running mode" [ label = "Short press" ];
    "Set running mode" -> "Speed?";
    "Clear saved maze" -> "Green LED off";
    "Green LED off" -> "Goal?";
    "Goal?" -> "Goal?" [ label = "No input" ];
    "Goal?" -> "Set training goal" [ label = "Short press" ];
    "Goal?" -> "Set competition goal" [ label = "Long press" ];
    "Set competition goal" -> "Play epic theme";
    "Set training goal" -> "Set searching mode";
    "Play epic theme" -> "Set searching mode";
    "Set searching mode" -> "Speed?";
    "Speed?" -> "Speed?" [ label = "No input" ];
    "Speed?" -> "Increase speed" [ label = "Short press" ];
    "Increase speed" -> "Speed?";
    "Speed?" -> "Delay (robot placement)" [ label = "Long press" ];
    "Delay (robot placement)" -> "Ready?";
    "Ready?" -> "Ready?" [ label = "No input" ];
    "Ready?" -> "Go!" [ label = "Front sensor close reading" ];
}

Note

After Go! (run/explore), the robot will end up in the Idle state back again.

Encoders calibration

If you are using slightly different wheels, motors or encoders than the ones suggested in the Building section, you will probably need to calibrate the MICROMETERS_PER_COUNT constant. You may need to calibrate it even if you use the same suggested components, since little differences in the wheels’ diameter can affect its value.

IR sensors calibration

It is important to properly calibrate the IR sensors. Not only your sensors will behave differently than sensors in another Bulebule build, but also, readings can vary a lot from maze to maze, depending on the characteristics of the walls.

To calibrate the IR sensors, create a 2-cell closed maze like the following:

o---o
| G |
o   o
| S |
o---o

Place the robot at the starting cell (S), with its tail touching the back wall and facing towards the goal cell (G).

Then, using the connect_bluetooth.py script, connect to the robot and send the command:

run front_sensors_calibration

The robot should travel across the two cells and end up with its nose touching the front wall at G.

During that travel, the robot has sent information about the IR sensors readings to the console, so make sure to save it from the console with:

log save

Then run the front_sensors_calibration.ipynb notebook to obtain the IR configuration parameters, which you can replace in config.h.