"Infrared Line Follower Kit" versus "QTI Line Follower AppKit"

ypapelis

I am preparing a 1 week robotics camp for high-schoolers and have decided to use the Boe Bot, but want to add a line following kit. After a cursory review, the two kids (infrared line following and QTI line follower) appear similar, except the the infrared kit with the 8 sensors should provide higher resolution in detecting line angles. Is there anything else to consider when comparing the two (also the $10 price difference).

I would appreciate someone saving me the time to read through both kits' documentation!

Thanks!

GordonMcComb

From an interfacing standpoint, my preference is the 8-sensor line follower, as it has a simple on/off value state for each output, versus the RC style output of the QTI. However, the QTI provides a means to adjust for sensitivity in software, whereas you must do that manually in the 8-sensor array. (There is a trim pot on the board for fine-tune adjustments.)

And of course, the 8-sensor array will use more I/O, if you elect to wire up all of its sensors.

I have used both for non-line following tasks as well, such as inverting them and using hand and finger gestures for control. For a working example (though using an Arduino in this case, but the idea is the same), check out the April 2012 issue of SERVO Magazine for a music-controlled robot. The Parallax 8-sensor array acts as a piano keyboard to play notes through a MIDI synthesizer while also using the tones to control the robot's motors.

If you snuggled a PropBOE on top of your Boe Bot robot you could have it generate the MIDI instruments, and not have to use an outboard MIDI synthesizer. (Check out the current issue of SERVO Magazine for using the Propeller to synthesize music.)

-- Gordon