Vacuum Mechanism

The robot has a fan attached to the rear which sucks air from the ground and exhausts clean air from the back. There is a filter that blocks any dust from entering the fan. Dust is stopped by the filter and collected in a compartment. For more details and pictures, read here.

Differential Drive Mechanism

The robot has two wheels that can be controlled to rotate at different speeds and directions. The robot moves in a straight line when the two wheels are turning at the same speed. The robot turns when the two wheels rotate at different speeds. This mechanism is called “differential drive.” For more pictures and source code, read here.

Bumper Mechanism

When the robot hits a wall, the bumper pushes one of the switches closer to the wall. The robot can then know which side the wall exists and change direction accordingly. For more details and close-up pictures, read here.