Case study
Autonomous Maze Vehicle
A compact autonomous vehicle built on an Arduino platform that navigates mazes independently. Using three ultrasonic distance sensors, the vehicle executes a left-wall-following strategy with proportional steering control, detects and avoids obstacles in real time, and maintains a consistent wall offset — all within the tight processing constraints of an Arduino.
The brief
Challenge
Navigate an unknown maze autonomously using only local sensor readings, with no external positioning or mapping — on an Arduino with limited processing power.
Approach
What we made
Implemented a left-wall-following strategy using proportional control to maintain a target wall distance. Median filtering across three consecutive ultrasonic reads reduces noise, and a backup-and-turn maneuver handles dead ends and head-on obstacles.
- Left-wall-following algorithm with proportional control maintains 14 cm wall offset.
- Three ultrasonic sensors provide front, left, and right distance readings with median filtering for noise reduction.
- Obstacle avoidance logic detects objects within 25 cm, reverses, and steers toward the wider opening.
- 80 ms control loop with 25 ms sensor timeout — tuned for real-time responsiveness on Arduino hardware.
Outcome
Results
A fully functional autonomous vehicle capable of navigating maze environments in real time, demonstrating sensor integration, embedded control logic, and practical robotics on constrained hardware.
Gallery
Visual snapshots
Click any image to expand.