The objective of the 2024 ASEE Robotics Competition, held in Portland, Oregon, was to design and build an autonomous robot that would knock down 12 (popsicle sticks) trees and transport these sticks to either the river or pond areas of the 4' by 8' plywood play field. This was accomplished by susing a whacking system following the line and stricking close to the top of each stick to collect each stick.

We used a Raspberry Pi Pico to program our robot, along with Arduino software and C++. We designed custom PCB boards for this robot. We used an array of eight IR sensors to detect the line, correcting our course with the two drive motors. To detect the sticks, we used an IR sensor on each side of the robot. Our code used these sensor data to follow the line, sense each stick, delay for any necessary time to position the arm, and use the servos on the collection arms to whack the sticks into the bin.

One of the biggest design challenges we overcame this year was designing collection bin, which we called the Dumper. We found the Dumper needed low and angled sides for the popsicle sticks to clear, a large hinge radius and flexible ramp to clear the pond, and a large area to catch the sticks. We cut holes in the back of the Dumper to increase the footprint while making room for the other components. The final Dumper is made with 3D printed PLA and cardstock.

With hard work, dedications, and collaborations, we successfully produced robots with elegant design and reliable performance. We won the first place in the competition.