I implemented a naive navigation algorithm for the robot. the algorithm uses an obstacle avoidance strategy. So far, it uses a linear transform that pushes the robot away from nearby items. However, I noticed that IRL, the LiDAR doesn’t feel the push in the opposite direction until the obstacle gets too close. I’m planning on fixing this later by using an inversion function or something rather than just subtraction.
I created a basic scanner by using an RPLiDAR library from a YouTube Video. I adjusted the script for my LiDAR type and fixed a few bugs in the code such as angular positioning inversions. I also started working on the readjustment logic in which the frame is held still when the robot turns by rotating every point on the frame in the opposite direction that it is turning in. I also improved the color logic by using an actual gradient-based shader.
I got a cloudflare tunnel set up on the Raspberry Pi and also configured the nginx web server. I scaffolded a simple PHP site with a MariaDB server (which serves absolutely no purpose as of now). I then set up a blogging system using parsedown, which is a PHP script that renders markdown files as HTML. I then also added a simple projects tab and a main landing page. I used MIT’s signature font and also implemented a dummy user auth system to make the MariaDB server have some purpose.
