Planning the physical robot

We can make an outline of the physical robot to account for what we would like the robot to do. We can use a capability outline to make decisions about what parts we will use and how we will’ connect them. We should also consider any safety guidelines and precautions required for the robot. We will add components to the robot as we go through chapters; keeping an overall map in our minds as we go helps us to see where we are.It is quite exciting to start to picture all the things a robot will do. A list gives us an idea without getting lost in details. Let's start with a list of what our robot will need and do:

• Wheels to drive around the floor
• A motor driver for the wheels
• Any safety considerations for the robot
• Indicate its status with a set of multicolored LEDs
• A pair of servo motors for a pan and tilt mechanism
• Distance sensors to avoid walls and navigate
• Wheel encoders to know how far it has moved
• A camera to sense colored objects or faces
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