Obstacle-Avoiding Bot
Combine motion, sensing, and directional scanning to build a small rover that can decide where to turn next.
What you will learn
- • Upgrade the rover into a patrol bot that pauses and reports blocked paths.
- • Use the same scan logic for an automated parking distance guide.
Components
3
Community Tips
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Build an Obstacle Avoiding Rover with Servo Sweep
CircuitSpark Lab • 27.8K views • Jan 21, 2026
Build Guide
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1
Mount the ultrasonic sensor on the servo
Secure the ultrasonic sensor so the servo can sweep it left and right without wobble. Loose mounts create false distance readings and inconsistent turns.
Keep cables clear of the wheels before you start writing scan logic.
Step 2
Create a left-center-right scan loop
Measure distance at three or more angles, store the readings, then compare which direction is safest.
int leftDistance = scanAt(150);
int centerDistance = scanAt(90);
int rightDistance = scanAt(30);
if (centerDistance < 20) {
if (leftDistance > rightDistance) {
turnLeft();
} else {
turnRight();
}
} else {
moveForward();
}
This is the turning point where a toy build starts behaving like a simple autonomous system.
Step 3
Tune movement behavior
Reduce motor burst times, then retest in a narrow path. Fast, smaller corrections feel more intelligent than big dramatic turns.
Log your measured distances over serial output so you can understand why the rover chose each direction.
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