Students of the Undergraduate Degree in Industrial Design Engineering create autonomous robotic systems with Arduino and photoreceptors

Autonomous robotic systems are increasingly present in industrial environments as well as in other technological and domestic fields. Warehouses and large logistics centres benefit from autonomous platforms capable of picking and transporting materials, boxes and pallets between two points in their facilities, reducing process times and optimising internal management.

Beyond the large fleets of robots, today we also find that this type of technology has entered our homes in the form of cleaning systems. These types of robots become a perfect example of electronic systems based on inputs (sensors) and outputs (actuators).

In this context, the students of the Undergraduate Degree in Industrial Design Engineering (subject ‘Electrical and Electronic Technology’, first year) have applied all their knowledge of electronics and programming to create autonomous robotic platforms.

Their objective: to implement a robotic system capable of detecting and following a path of black lines on the pavement. To do this, the students used photoreceptor devices to detect the colour and programmed an Arduino-based controller to act on the motors.