Robotics·Jan 1, 2023

Puzzle Solving Robot

Autonomous robot that senses a puzzle/maze environment and follows a planned path.

Overview

This robot demonstrates autonomous navigation for puzzle or maze-solving tasks. It reads sensor input, decides movement direction, and controls motors to follow the intended path. The project combines line/obstacle sensing, motor control, and decision logic in a compact robotics platform.

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

Reliable navigation required stable sensor thresholds and consistent motor response.

Solutions

Used calibrated sensor readings and simple rule-based path decisions for predictable movement.

Results & metrics

Prototype demonstrates autonomous movement through puzzle-style navigation.

Future improvements

Add PID motor control, encoder feedback, mapping memory, and a visual debug display.