Autonomous Robot

I developed software and motor-control circuitry for an autonomous robot that followed a taped course, found rocks, identified whether they contained metal, built a tower, and ripped the cover off a solar panel. It also used machine vision to detect Teletubbies. The project combined embedded programming, circuit design, sensing, motion control, and robotic manipulation.

The robot used an ESP32-S3 and four mecanum wheels, allowing it to drive forward, reverse, sideways, and rotate. I built H-bridge circuits for the motor drivers, implemented PID tape following, and organized the robot’s behaviour as a state machine that coordinated navigation, rock detection, arm movements, tower building, and solar panel alignment.

Tape and side sensors guided the robot along the course. Metal-detection coils classified rocks, infrared sensing supported target alignment, optical-flow sensors measured movement, and machine vision detected Teletubbies. The ESP32 received sensor data over UART and used it to determine when to move, stop, or change tasks.

I programmed a multi-servo arm and claw to handle rocks, build the tower, and remove the solar panel cover. Coordinating the arm with the drive system required careful timing and positioning. A Wi-Fi control page provided start and stop controls, state selection, and status information during testing.