Various types of sensors and actuators used in robots.
Basic Electronics: Understanding electronic components like resistors, capacitors, diodes, transistors, and basic circuit design principles that are fundamental to sensors and actuators.
Microcontroller Programming: Knowledge of programming languages like C/C++ for microcontrollers is essential for controlling sensors and actuators.
Sensor Types and Properties: Introduction to the different types of sensors like temperature, humidity, pressure, IR, ultrasonic, and their properties, sensitivity, range, accuracy, and precision.
Actuator Types and Properties: Introduction to actuators like DC motors, stepper motors, servos, solenoids, and their working principles, torque, speed, control protocols, and feedback mechanisms.
Sensor Interfacing: Understanding the methods of interfacing sensors with microcontrollers, ADCs, amplifiers, and signal conditioning circuits for accurate and reliable sensing.
Actuator Interfacing: Understanding the methods of interfacing actuators with microcontrollers, MOSFETs, H-bridge drivers, and PWM signals for precise and smooth control.
Sensor Fusion: Techniques for combining data from multiple sensors for accurate, robust, and redundant sensing in challenging environments.
Control Theory: Introduction to control theory and feedback control, PID algorithms, and control system design for accurate and responsive actuation.
Communication Protocols: Understanding digital communication protocols like UART, SPI, I2C, and wireless protocols like Bluetooth, WiFi, ZigBee, and their applications in sensor and actuator networks.
Real-time Operating Systems: Understanding real-time scheduling, multitasking, memory management, and synchronization in embedded systems to ensure timely and reliable sensor and actuator control.
Optical sensors: Detects light intensity, colors or provides an image of the surroundings.
Proximity sensors: Measures the distance between two objects, detects the presence or absence of an object.
Pressure sensors: Measures pressure, stress or force exerted on an object.
Temperature sensors: Measures temperature or heat activity.
Touch sensors: Detects physical contact or pressure.
Accelerometers: Measures acceleration or change in speed and direction.
Infrared sensors: Detects infrared radiation emitted by objects.
Gyroscopes: Measures rotation, orientation or angular velocity.
Magnetic sensors: Measures magnetic fields or detects magnetic materials.
Humidity sensors: Measures the amount of moisture present in the air or in a material.
Electric motors: Converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.
Pneumatic cylinders: Uses compressed air to move objects.
Hydraulic cylinders: Uses hydraulic fluid to generate force and motion.
Solenoids: Electromechanical device that generates motion when energized by an electric current.
Piezoelectric actuators: Use piezoelectric materials to generate motion.
Shape memory alloys: Actuators that can change shape when heated or cooled.
Electroactive polymers: Actuators that change shape when electrically stimulated.
Magnetorheological actuators: Actuators that change their properties when exposed to a magnetic field.
Thermal bimorph actuators: Use thermal expansion to generate motion.
Voice coils: Electromagnetic actuators that produce motion in response to an electrical signal.