A first-place Santa Clara mechatronics robot built to navigate a winding course, clock in, read the order, pull the correct tap, and complete a controlled pour without overfilling. Our final run was the only perfect three-tap run in the competition.
1st PlaceArduino Mega 2560PID Line FollowingState Machine
The robot combined navigation, order detection, and mechanical tap actuation into one timed run.
The course rewarded reliability more than isolated subsystem performance. The robot had to stay on line, recognize the task, select the right tap, pull with enough force, avoid overfilling, and reset for the next action.
Course navigation
The robot had one minute to follow a winding course with enough stability to reach the bar, align with the taps, and keep its mechanism square to the target.
Clock-in and order detection
Light and color sensing helped the robot recognize course cues, clock in, and interpret which drink order needed to be served before actuating the tap.
Tap selection and pull sequence
A C++ state machine coordinated approach, alignment, arm positioning, tap pull timing, release, and reset so the robot could serve the correct tap.
Pour control and reset
PWM-controlled servos pulled the tap without overfilling, then returned the arm to neutral so the robot could continue through the run.
Engineering architecture
A C++ state machine turned sensor cues into repeatable physical actions.
01
Sensors
Line sensors, light sensing, and color sensing provided the cues needed for navigation, clock-in behavior, and order recognition.
line sensinglight sensingcolor sensing
02
Arduino Mega 2560
The Mega ran the C++ state machine that decided when to follow the line, read the order, align to a tap, pull, reset, and continue.
ArduinoC++state machine
03
PID line following
PID control kept the robot centered through the winding course so the mechanical actuation sequence started from a repeatable position.
PIDcourse trackingcontrol loop
04
Servo actuation
PWM drove the servo mechanism, including a high-torque base servo that pulled the top arm through a string linkage.
PWM60kg servodual servo
05
Mechanical tap pull
Laser-cut wood, 3D-printed arm geometry, claws, string tension, and springs worked together to pull the tap and return it cleanly.
Fusion 360laser cut3D printed
Mechanism spotlight
The tap-pull mechanism used servo torque, string tension, and spring return.
Fusion 360 was used to design the laser-cut frame and 3D-printed arm and claws. A high-torque 60kg servo at the base pulled the top arm and beer tap through a string linkage, while springs pushed the top arm back when the servo returned to neutral.
Mechanical reliability came from matching software timing to the arm’s physical return behavior.
Build media
Real competition media shows the robot, mechanism, and final tap interaction.
Front build viewClaw mechanismTap pull sequence
Results and reflection
The win came from making the whole robot dependable, not from one isolated subsystem.
01 · Competition result
Competition result
The team won first place and completed the only perfect run by successfully pulling three beer taps.
02 · Software structure
Software structure
A state machine kept navigation, sensing, order handling, actuation, and reset behavior predictable under competition timing.
03 · Mechanical design
Mechanical design
Fusion 360 parts, laser-cut wood, and 3D-printed arm/claw geometry turned a course robot into a task-specific machine.
04 · Integration lesson
Integration lesson
The winning run depended on tuning software timing and mechanical return behavior together, not treating them as separate problems.
