!!! Robot-related Goals

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! What are your goals?

Here are some of the possible goals related to robot design, hardware, software and research:

* Some possible __robot challenges__, features, tasks:
** autonomous navigation (controlled environment, indoor, outdoor?)
** telerobotics
** [camera-as-sensor|CameraAsSensor]
** [Machine Learning]
** [Artificial Intelligence]
** obstacle avoidance
** line following
** maze solving
** [Sumo] robot competition
* Try out various __[sensors|Sensors]__ and __[modules|Modules]__ from Adafruit, Pimoroni, Pollolu, PiBorg, PiJuice, etc.:
** Time of Flight (ToF) laser distance sensors
** infrared sensors (various distance ranges)
** ultrasonic sensors via PiBorg's Ultraborg module
** install Hall-effect[4] motor encoders and write a Python-based PID motor controller
** analog-to-digital converters
** motion detector, to detect humans and cats
** a robot front bumper, modeled after David Anderson's SR04 robot[3]
** motor control via PiBorg's Thunderborg module
** Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) and battery management via PiJuice
* Try out several robotic __[hardware platforms|HardwarePlatforms]__, for a low-cost, entry-level robot
** OSEPP Tank
** Adafruit CRICKIT for Circuit Playground Express
** Adafruit:
*** Purple Aluminum Chassis for TT Motors - 2WD
*** Mini Robot Rover Chassis Kit - 2WD with DC Motors
*** Mini Round Robot Chassis Kit - 2WD with DC Motors
*** Mini 3-Layer Round Robot Chassis Kit - 2WD with DC Motors
* __[Motors]__
** OSEPP 25mm motors (part of the Tank kit), with encoders
** smaller and larger motors from Pololu, ServoCity, GoBilda, etc.
** yellow plastic motors
** continual-rotation micro servos
** N20, AKA Pololu ''micro metal gearmotors'' (many gear ratios available, with or without optical or Hall Effect encoders; available from Pimoroni, Adafruit and others)
* Try out several [microprocessor/microcontroller|MicroprocessorsAndMicrocontrollers] platforms, for a low-cost, entry-level robot
** [Raspberry Pi] (Zero, Zero W)
** [Circuit Playground Express]
** [Arduino]
** other microcontrollers, e.g., Adafruit ItsyBitsy M4 Express
** [Espruino] WiFi (Javascript-based microcontroller) 
** [MicroBit]
* [GPIO] information
** pinouts for each Raspberry Pi
* Explore use of [I2C] bus
** how to display current I2C devices
** list of known I2C devices by address (noting potential conflicts)

! What Do You Bring to the Project?

It's good to consider what a robot designer and builder brings to the table:
 
* existing hardware and/or software skills
* what skills you want to learn?
* what tools do you currently have? what tools are you willing to purchase?
* are you focused on hardware, software, or both?
* what programming language do you prefer to use for a robot?
* what [type|RobotPrototypes] of robot do you want to build?
* what [scale|RobotWeightClasses] of robot do you want to build? The bigger the robot the larger the motors, battery, cost, etc.
* what is your projected budget, at least initially?

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[{Tag Organisation RobotDesign GettingStarted}]