Obstacle Avoidance Robot

Abstract

Obstacle Avoiding Robot is an intelligent device that can automatically sense the obstacle in front of it and avoid them by turning itself in another direction. This design allowstherobottonavigateinanunknownenvironmentbyavoidingcollisions,whichis aprimaryrequirementforanyautonomousmobilerobot. TheapplicationoftheObstacle Avoiding robot is not limited and it is used in most of the military organizations now which helps carry out many risky jobs that cannot be done by any soldiers.Here an Ultrasonic sensor is used to sense the obstacles in the path by calculating the distance between the robot and obstacle. If robot finds any obstacle it changes the direction and continue moving. ObstacleAvoidingRobotisanintelligentdevicethatcanautomaticallysensetheobstacle infrontofit andavoidthembyturningitselfin anotherdirection.Thisdesign allowsthe robot to navigate in an unknown environment byavoiding collisions, which is a primary requirementforanyautonomousmobilerobot.Obstacleavoidingrobotscanbeused inalmostallmobilerobotnavigationsystems. Theycanbeused forhouseholdworklike automatic vacuum cleaning. They can also be used in dangerous environments, where human penetration could be fatal.

Introduction

An obstacle avoidance robot is an autonomous mobile system designed to detect and avoid obstacles in its path using ultrasonic sensors and microcontrollers like the Arduino Uno. These robots continuously monitor their environment, make real-time decisions, and navigate without human intervention, commonly used in automated vehicles, robotic competitions, and smart appliances.

1. Project Overview

The robot uses ultrasonic distance sensors (e.g., HC-SR04) to scan for obstacles. A servo motor rotates the sensor to check various directions. When an obstacle is detected, the robot determines a clear path and moves accordingly. If all directions are blocked, it performs a 180° turn.

2. Components & Tools

• Arduino Uno: Main microcontroller to process inputs and control motors.

• HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor: Detects objects by emitting sound waves and measuring echo time.

• L298N Motor Driver Module: Controls motor direction and speed from Arduino signals.

• 5V DC Motors: Provide movement; form a differential drive with wheels.

• Chassis, Caster Wheel, Jumper Wires, Battery Pack: For physical assembly.

• Software: Arduino IDE (coding), Tinkercad (virtual prototyping).

3. Working Principle

• The ultrasonic sensor emits sound waves.

• When waves hit an obstacle, an echo is returned.

• The Arduino calculates the distance and determines whether to:

  • Continue forward

  • Reverse and turn

  • Stop

This process is repeated continuously for real-time navigation.

4. Design & Development Approach

• Define functionality and environment constraints.

• Use Arduino for control due to low cost and compatibility.

• Mount sensors for optimal field of view.

• Implement rule-based logic (e.g., stop if obstacle within 20 cm).

• Use non-blocking code for real-time response.

• Optional upgrades include fuzzy logic or ML for smarter decision-making.

5. Literature Insights

Various researchers and projects have contributed:

• Use of multiple sensors improves detection.

• Projects have tested different algorithms and configurations.

• Emphasis on cost-efficiency, accuracy, and real-time response.

6. Applications

• Autonomous navigation in robotics

• Smart vacuum cleaners

• Self-driving cars

• Traffic management systems

• Indoor navigation (e.g., buildings)

Conclusion

The obstacle avoidance robot project exemplifies the integration of electronics, programming, and mechanical design. The use of a bi-directional sensor, a rule-based logic system, and low-cost components makes it a perfect beginner-to-intermediate level project that demonstrates fundamental concepts in embedded systems and robotics.

References

[1] AmitKumarBharti,ArvindKumarBharati,AsharafRaza,AshwaniKumar,Aamirhttps://doi.org/10.22214/ijraset.2022.43056, May 2022. [2] FaizaTabassum,SusmitaLopa,MuhammadMasudTarek&Dr.BilkisJamalFerdosi,in 2017PavithraAC,SubramanyaGouthamin2018 [3] RChinmayi;YogeshKumarJayam;VenkateshTunuguntla;JaideepVenkatDammuru;in 2018

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Shantanu Sinha, Swati Singh, Vikhyat Gupta , Dr. Abhinav Bhargava, Prof. Rahul Sharma. 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.