# 🤖✨ Zumo Shield Smart Bots (Arduino) — *Zumo 2025* vs *Zumo_Drive_hit_detect*

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                 Z U M O   S H I E L D   ( U N O / L E O )

Overview

This repo contains two different autonomous control programs for the Pololu Zumo Shield for Arduino.

They share the same spirit (small robot, big attitude), but they target different priorities:

• Zumo 2025.ino → Arena survival brain
  Edge avoidance + wandering + optional IMU heading hold + bump reaction.

• Zumo_Drive_hit_detect.ino → Collision charger
  Uses accelerometer “contact” detection to trigger full-speed charge + randomized turn patterns.

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✅ Hardware Target

• Pololu Zumo Shield for Arduino (Arduino Uno / Leonardo)
• Optional but recommended:
  • Reflectance sensor array (for edge detection / border detection)
  • IMU (accelerometer + magnetometer; gyro on some revisions)

⚠️ Not the same as the Zumo 32U4 robot. That uses different libraries/headers.

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Quick Start

1) Install the Pololu library

Install the ZumoShield library (Pololu):

• Arduino IDE → Sketch → Include Library → Manage Libraries…
• Search ZumoShield
• Install ZumoShield by Pololu

Or install from ZIP from the Pololu repo if you prefer.

2) Open the sketch you want

• Zumo 2025.ino ✅ recommended for ring/table survival
• Zumo_Drive_hit_detect.ino ✅ fun/aggressive collision behavior

3) Select board + port and upload

• Tools → Board → (Uno / Leonardo)
• Tools → Port → (your COM port)
• Upload

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Programs

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🧠 Zumo 2025.ino — Smart Sumo / Edge Avoider (NO line following)

What it’s built to do

This sketch treats not falling off the world as the top priority.

Core features

• Edge detection using reflectance array
  If it sees a bright border/edge → backup + turn.
• Wander behavior
  Drives forward and explores, periodically changing direction.
• IMU bump reaction (accelerometer “jerk”)
  If hit → brief “attack burst” forward.
• IMU heading hold (magnetometer compass) (if IMU is present)
  Keeps the robot driving straighter and more repeatably.
• Button UI
  • Short press: cycle modes
  • Long press: STOP / RUN
• Buzzer feedback for mode changes and events.

When to use it

• Black sumo ring with white border
• Table edge avoidance (bright tape edge)
• “Roam but don’t fall” robots

Why it wins more often (in ring-style environments)

Because it can survive longer:

• It actively avoids edges
• It does not rely on random luck to stay on the surface

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⚡ Zumo_Drive_hit_detect.ino — Accelerometer Contact Charger.

What it’s built to do

This sketch is a contact-driven brawler.

Core features

• Reads accelerometer X/Y and detects sudden force/jerk
• On “contact”, it:
  • plays a charge melody
  • switches to FULL_SPEED
  • runs one of 20 random turn patterns
• Motor trim constants help it drive straighter.

Strengths

• Very punchy, very aggressive
• Great for:
  • “ram anything you hit” behavior
  • small obstacle courses where you want chaotic unpredictability

Weaknesses (important)

• No edge/border detection, so on a sumo ring it can:
  • charge hard
  • and then drive right off the edge
• Accelerometer “contact” can false-trigger from:
  • bumpy surfaces
  • acceleration from turns
  • vibration

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Zumo 2025.ino	Zumo_Drive_hit_detect.ino
Reflectance sensors	✅ used for edge/border detection	❌ not used
Ring survival priority	✅ high	❌ low
Bump/impact reaction	✅ yes (jerk → short burst)	✅ yes (jerk → full charge)
Magnetometer/compass	✅ heading hold (if IMU present)	❌ not used
Turn strategy	simple, reliable escape turns	many random time-based turn patterns
Best use	sumo ring / table / “don’t fall”	chaotic charger / collision toy
Biggest risk	tuning thresholds	driving off the ring

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Controls (Zumo 2025)

• Short press: cycles modes
  AUTO → RING_ONLY → WANDER_ONLY → AUTO
• Long press: toggles
  STOP ↔ RUN

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Calibration Notes (Zumo 2025)

Reflectance calibration

During startup calibration, try to let the robot “see”:

• the darker surface
• the bright border/edge

This makes edge detection far more reliable.

Compass calibration (if IMU exists)

The robot will spin to capture min/max magnetometer values for heading.

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Tuning Guide

Zumo 2025.ino key knobs

EDGE_BRIGHT_THRESHOLD

• If it escapes too often → increase
• If it misses the edge and falls off → decrease

BUMP_JERK_THRESHOLD

• False bumps → increase
• Never detects bumps → decrease

BASE_SPEED

• Too wild/slippy → lower
• Too slow to be useful → raise

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Zumo_Drive_hit_detect.ino key knobs

XY_ACCELERATION_THRESHOLD

• More sensitive contact detection → lower
• Fewer false triggers → higher

Turn durations

• If it barely turns → increase durations
• If it over-rotates → reduce durations

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File Layout (expected)

.
├── Zumo 2025.ino
├── Zumo_Drive_hit_detect.ino
├── LICENSE
└── README.md

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License

MIT License (see LICENSE)

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Credits

• Pololu Zumo Shield Arduino library:

  • https://github.com/pololu/zumo-shield-arduino-library

• This repo includes:

  • Zumo 2025.ino (edge-avoid / wander / IMU assist)
  • Zumo_Drive_hit_detect.ino (accelerometer contact charger with turn patterns)

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Roadmap Ideas (optional fun)

• Merge both into a hybrid “Ring Safe Charger”:
  • keep edge detection as #1 priority
  • keep charge melody + full-speed burst on confirmed contact
  • reduce to the 5 best turn patterns
  • add optional “search spin” when no opponent is hit for X seconds