Robotics·Jan 1, 2023

Puzzle Solving Robot

A small autonomous robot that reads a puzzle/maze environment and follows a planned route.

Overview

I built this one to understand the basics of autonomous navigation without getting lost in heavyweight robotics frameworks. The robot reads its surroundings, picks a direction, drives the motors, and re-checks. Simple in writing, harder in the real world.

Specifications

RoleRobot builder and firmware developer

MicrocontrollerArduino UNO

SensorsIR sensor arrayOptional distance sensor

ModulesMotor driverDC gear motors

ProtocolsGPIOPWM

Tech tagsAutonomous RobotMaze SolvingPath PlanningArduinoSensors

Architecture

Sensors detect the path or puzzle markers, firmware makes navigation decisions, and motor control executes the planned motion.

Project photos

Puzzle solving robot hardware — Hardware view

Videos

Implementation details

Firmware

Firmware reads sensor states, applies navigation rules, chooses turns, controls motor speed, and tracks puzzle progress.

Components / BOM

Arduino UNO, IR sensor array, Motor driver, DC gear motors, Battery pack

Engineering challenges

Stable sensor thresholds and predictable motor response — the two things that decide whether the robot looks confident or like it is guessing.

Solutions

Calibrated the sensor readings on the actual track, kept the navigation rules simple and rule-based, and tuned the motor PWM for consistent turns.

Results & metrics

A prototype that consistently follows the intended path through puzzle-style navigation.

Future improvements

Add encoders, PID, a small memory of the path, and a debug display so the decision-making is visible from outside.