Autonomous Multi-Terrain Campus Rover

Abstract

Large university campuses often require frequent document transportation, surveillance, and small-load delivery tasks, which consume valuable faculty time and increase dependency on manual manpower. To address these challenges, this project proposes the development of an Autonomous Multi-Terrain Rover capable of efficiently navigating predefined campus routes while minimizing human intervention. Obstacle detection and avoidance are implemented using ultrasonic sensors, ensuring safe and reliable operation in dynamic outdoor environments. Additionally, the rover is equipped with intelligent rerouting algorithms that allow it to adapt to unexpected obstacles or path disruptions in real time.

Introduction

The text presents an autonomous multi-terrain campus rover designed to automate tasks such as surveillance, document delivery, and internal transportation within a campus environment. It aims to reduce manual effort, save time, and improve operational efficiency by replacing human-based movement with an intelligent robotic system capable of navigating different surfaces like roads, grass, and gravel.

The rover is built around an ESP32 microcontroller, which controls movement using motor drivers and processes navigation commands. It uses a combination of sensors, including an IR speed encoder for distance tracking, an MPU9250 gyroscope for accurate rotation measurement, and IR proximity sensors for obstacle detection and safety. These components allow the rover to move autonomously while avoiding collisions.

Its working principle is based on a “Teach and Repeat” system, where the rover first records a manually driven path through a web interface and then reproduces it autonomously using closed-loop control. Linear and rotational movements are tracked separately to improve accuracy and reduce errors.

The system offers advantages such as document and parcel delivery, campus patrol, and equipment transport. It is applicable in administrative offices, libraries, laboratories, and security monitoring. The experimental setup includes motors, sensors, ESP32 modules, and power management systems to support multi-terrain movement.

Conclusion

The rover is capable of navigating various surfaces including smooth paths and moderately uneven terrains while detecting and avoiding obstacles in real time. The use of sensors and control logic enables the system to make decisions independently, reducing the need for continuous human intervention.

References

[1] A. Gujarathi et al., “Design and Development of Autonomous Delivery Robot,” arXiv:2103.09229, 2021. [2] Y. Rihan et al., “Campus Courier: An Autonomous Delivery Robot On-Campus,” Proc. ASET, 2024. [3] Y. S. Kale et al., “Autonomous Terrain Vehicle,” Indian Journal of Science and Technology, vol. 14, no. 25, pp. 2119–2127, 2021.

Copyright

Copyright © 2026 S. Priyadharshini, Aswin D P, Lokesh S. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.