Line Follower Robot(atmega 8)

What is a line follower? Line follower is a machine that can follow a path. The path can be visible like a black line on a white surface (or vice-versa) or it can be invisible like a magnetic field. 

Why build a line follower? Sensing a line and manoeuvring the robot to stay on course, while constantly correcting wrong moves using feedback mechanism forms a simple yet effective autonomous system. As a programmer you ‘teach’ the robot how to follow the line thus giving it a human-like property of responding to stimulus. Practical applications of a line follower: Automated cars running on special roads; guidance system for industrial robots moving on shop floor etc. Book keeping in a library. A line

following robot is a mobile machine employed to sense and follow the black lines that are drawn on the white surface. As this robot is developed using a breadboard, it will be very simple to construct. This technique can be incorporated into the Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) for providing the easy way of operation. Generally, It also uses a position feedback system for traveling in the desired path. In addition, the electric signals and RF communication are needed for communicating with the vehicle and system controller. Such awkward functions are completely not required in this line following robot, and it just uses the IR sensors to travel on the black lines    The word “line” as used in the text below refers to the black track and “surroundings” or “background” is the white area on which the black track has been constructed..A circuit inside takes input signal from two sensors and controls the speed of wheel’s rotation. The control is done in such a way that when a sensor senses a black line, the motor slows down or even stops. Then the difference of rotation speed makes it possible to make turns.  A step-by-step approach can hasten the LF building process. I've compiled the following steps to create a LF, something which I dearly missed when constructing my LF. Though there are several alternative styles of building an LF, I'll be explaining my way of building one and the challenges involved. The line follower (or LF in short) described here is an autonomous robot capable of following a black coloured track on a white background.