How to Construct an NXT Robot Obstacle Course

Place electrical tape on the course to define the route or borders of the course, dependent on the type of robot you have. If the robot is programmed to stay within borders and execute a script, then the tape creates a border around the entirety of the obstacle course. If the robot is programmed to travel along a strip of tape, then the tape should wind through the obstacle course, as if creating a guided path.

Create collapsible obstacles, such as books standing on their sides, inverted glass bottles or soda cans, to represent hazards. These obstacles serve to create additional hindrances for the programming and mechanical fluidity of the robot. Robots should be able to navigate around such obstacles without bumping into them or knocking them over. Be sure to put obstacles apart from each other at a distance greater than the width of the robot. Otherwise, the robot will not be able to fit through.

Create ramps or bridges for the robot to navigate. Ramps test the hardware of the robot, as opposed to the programming of its motion script. A robot should also have enough power to properly overcome a ramp or incline. Do not create a ramp sharper than 45 degrees. One of the cheapest ways to construct a ramp is to open a book and lay half of it over an elevated structure so that half of the book cover is flat and elevated, and the other half of the book cover slants down to the ground. Some models of chock blocks can also serve as ramps, or you could cut a ramp out of wood.

Establish a clearly defined starting location and ending location so that you can create appropriate scripts for the robot. A single robot does not have the capabilities to respond to every obstacle course. Rather, robots must be tailored to suit a specific obstacle course. By establishing a start and end point, you will be able to script your robot accordingly. The start and end points benefit human observers more than the robots, as the start and end points will be programmed into the robot already. Showing on the obstacle course where the robot will start and end proves to observers that the robot has accomplished its goal. Two "X" patterns made out of electrical tape are good ways to represent the starting and finishing lines.