Building Robots with LEGO® Mindstorms® NXT

Chapter 4. Reading Sensors

Solutions in this chapter:

• Digital Sensor Ports with the PC (Inter-Integrated) Interface

• The Touch Sensor

• The Light Sensor

• The Ultrasonic Sensor

• The Servo Motor Encoder (Rotation Sensor)

• Sensor Tips and Tricks

• Other Sensors

Introduction

One of the most important components of a robot is the sensor. The primary purpose of a sensor is to allow the robot to interact with its environment and perform actions based on feedback from its surroundings. This process is called autonomy, which by definition means freedom from external law. An autonomous robot is a self-governing device that takes input from its sensors and makes decisions based on this input. This tends to be the difference between those battle-bots you see on TV which are ...