Design and Implementation of a Remotely Controlled Two-Wheel Self-Balancing Robot

Abstract

This research included the design and implementation of a real-time remotely controlled Two-Wheel Self-Balancing Robot (TWSBR). The aim was to build a low cost TWSBR that could be remotely navigated using Bluetooth wireless technology. Experimentally, the TWSBR consists of two parts: the hardware device and the software algorithm. Bluetooth protocols were used to facilitate communication between a smartphone device and a gyroscope sensor. As the dynamic structure of the robot is inherently unstable, self-stabilisation represents a major challenge, and a robust control algorithm was thus required for this task. A Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) was employed to achieve this in real-time with the help of an 8-bit microcontroller. The feedback signal was fed to the PID controller through the gyroscope sensor with the aim of maintaining TWSBR stability and balance based on adjusting its longitudinal angle in response to the gyroscope feedback signal. A prototype robot was then built to validate the proposed algorithm.