Building your own robot that can clean your house may sound complicated, but it's actually quite simple with an Arduino microcontroller and a handful of common household items. In this article, I'll walk you through a step-by-step guide on how I built my own cleaning robot using an Arduino Uno, servo motors, and materials easily found around the house.
Gathering the Necessary Components
Here's what you'll need to build your DIY cleaning Arduino robot:
Arduino Uno
The Arduino Uno is the microcontroller board that will function as the robot's "brain." It's inexpensive, widely available, and easy to program.
Servos
Servos are motor devices that allow for precise control of movement and rotation. I used two standard servos to power the robot's wheel motion.
Battery Pack
An external battery pack provides power for the Arduino and motors. A pack with 6 AA batteries worked well.
Motor Shield
A motor shield attaches on top of the Arduino and lets you control DC motors with your code.
Wheels
The robot needs two wheels to move around. I salvaged two wheels from an old remote control car, but you can also 3D print or laser cut a wheel design.
Body Materials
For the robot's body, you can use cardboard, wood, plastic - anything sturdy you have available. I used an empty tissue box.
Miscellaneous
- Wires to connect components
- Hot glue and tape for assembly
- Caster wheel for balance
- Light sensor to detect dirt
That's it for components! With just an Arduino, two servos, and basic craft materials, you'll have everything you need.
Assembling the Body
Here are the steps I followed to assemble the robot's chassis:
1. Cut the Tissue Box
I started by cutting down and flattening out a rectangular tissue box which would serve as the robot's body. Make sure to leave clearance under the body for the wheel and caster to spin.
2. Mount the Wheels
Next, I mounted the two drive wheels on either side of the body using hot glue. The wheels should have enough traction to propel the robot on smooth floors.
3. Add Caster Wheel
A caster wheel in the front center balances the robot and allows it to turn smoothly. Use hot glue to secure the caster wheel to the front underside.
4. Attach Components
I secured the Arduino, motor shield, battery pack, and servo motors to the top of the body with tape and glue. Arrange components neatly so wires can connect between them.
With the body assembled, it's time to wire up the electronics.
Wiring up the Circuitry
Here are the steps I followed to connect the components:
1. Connect Servos to Motor Shield
Plug the control wires of each servo into the motor shield attached on top of the Arduino. This allows control of the servos through code.
2. Connect Battery Pack
Solder or use jumpers to connect the positive and negative terminals of the battery pack to the power rails on the motor shield. This provides 6V power.
3. Connect Light Sensor
I added a simple photocell light sensor to detect dirty spots on the floor. Connect 3 wires from the sensor to 5V power, ground, and an analog input pin.
4. Connect Arduino USB
Finally, connect the Arduino's USB port to your computer with a USB cable. This allows uploading code to the Arduino.
With all the electronics wired up, it's time to program the robot's logic and movements.
Programming the Arduino
The Arduino code gives the robot its cleaning behaviors and actions. Here are the key functions I programmed:
Set Motor Speeds
This allows setting unique speeds for the left and right drive motors to steer and turn the robot.
Read Light Sensor
This reads the analog voltage value from the light sensor pin to detect if the robot is over a dark/dirty spot.
Move Forward/Backward
Logic to spin the motors forward or reverse for straight movement.
Turn Left/Right
By setting different left/right motor speeds, the robot can make smooth turns.
Cleaning Behavior
When a dirty spot is detected, the robot reverses, turns, moves forward over the spot, and repeats to "clean" it.
I used Arduino's loop() function to continuously run the above logic. The full code can be found on my GitHub.
After testing the code, it was time to put the robot to work!
Taking it For a Test Drive
Before unleashing my cleaning robot in the house, I tested it on a small dirt track I made on the floor. Here's how it performed:
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The photocell sensor reliably detected dark spots on the floor, triggering the cleaning routine.
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The servos spun the wheels at the programmed speeds to execute smooth turns and reversing.
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The robot methodically covered all areas of the track, backing up and turning around when it hit the edges.
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After "cleaning" a spot 3-4 times, the robot would move forward to find new dirt patches.
The test was a success! Now it was time to demonstrate the Arduino cleaning bot's skills on some real household messes.
Putting It To Work Around the House
I set my DIY robot loose in a few rooms around the house to tackle dust, debris, and dirt on our floors. Here were the results:
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It handled transitioning between tile, carpet, and rugs surprisingly well with the caster wheel balancing its movements.
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When it encountered things like chair and table legs, it would reverse and find a way around them.
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It picked up dust and dirt around baseboards and under furniture that are normally hard for me to reach.
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After 30 minutes of room-roaming, the floors looked significantly cleaner, though not sparkling.
While it couldn't match a Roomba in cleaning performance, I was impressed how well it did with simple components!
Key Takeaways from My Arduino Cleaning Robot Project
Building a cleaning robot with an Arduino and basic craft supplies was a fun, rewarding experience. Here are my main tips for anyone wanting to create their own:
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The Arduino Uno offers plenty of capability for simple automation like this. Just stick to DC motors that don't draw too much current.
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Simple light sensors work for detecting dirt, but more advanced sensors like infrared could improve navigation.
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Wheels from an existing robot platform or 3D printed provide better traction than makeshift wheels.
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Make sure to test individual functions thoroughly before running full automatic mode.
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The robot likely won't deep clean carpets or sticky messes, but can help maintain hard floors.
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This is a great project for learning Arduino coding and electronics skills!
While my Arduino cleaning robot isn't ready to replace a Roomba yet, this was an enlightening project that helped me learn a ton about DIY robotics. I hope this guide gives you a solid foundation for creating your own simple cleaning robot! Let me know if you have any other questions.