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If you are looking to get started with electronic projects, there is no better way to do so than building different robots and systems using the Arduino microcontroller development board. But with so many options available, which one would be ideal for you?
Here are 5 easy and interesting Arduino project ideas for beginners in 2021.
Simple Line Following Robot: The line following robot (LFR) is a very common Arduino project. It is one of the first projects that a lot of college students get to work on when they start using Arduino.
The idea behind a line-following robot is very simple. Infrared (IR) sensors mounted at the front of the robot continuously check for a line on the ground. The robot is programmed to only follow this line. If the line ends, the robot will also stop moving. IR sensors work on the principle of reflection of light.
We normally use an IR array (a group of 6-10 IR sensors mounted on a board) while building a line following robot. But you can use separate IR sensors as well. In the case of the latter, there will be a significant increase in the wiring.
Obstacle Avoiding Robot: The obstacle-avoiding robot is just as popular as the line-following one. It has a lot of real-life applications and we will be seeing more in the near future.
Instead of using IR sensors, this robot uses ultrasonic sensors to do its work. The most commonly used ultrasonic sensor is the HC-SR04. It has two transducers – one emits the signal and the other receives it. By calculating the time it takes for the signal to leave the transmitter and return to the receiver, the sensor can determine the distance.
The obstacle-avoiding robot is programmed in such a way that every time the sensor detects an obstacle within a range set by you, it will automatically move to the left or right or rotate in a 180-degree manner. In many cases, you will see people using more than one HC-SR04 sensor so that the decision-making process is made faster.
Smart Walking Cane for the Blind: The smart walking cane uses the same principle as an obstacle avoiding robot.
Ultrasonic sensors are fixed on the front side of a walking cane. Upon the detection of any obstacle, the Arduino microcontroller will trigger an alarm. Thus, the user will be notified that there is an obstacle ahead, and they can move in a different direction.
A smart walking cane is very easy to build. But you can always improve upon the existing design. Instead of using a single sensor that covers the front-end, you can have three that cover the front, left, and right sides of the user. Each sensor can raise a different type of alert. In this way, the user can tell whether the obstacle is in front of them, or to their left or right.
If you want to add something extra to this project, you can go ahead and connect a GPS module that will show the user’s live location to their designated friends or family member through an app or website.
Weather Station: An Arduino weather station is one of the most intriguing projects you can work on. It is easy to build but has a lot of potential and real-life applications.
In our Arduino weather station, we want to show three measures – the temperature, humidity, and the Air Quality Index (AQI). The main sensors you will be needing to build the station are the DHT-11 temperature and humidity sensor, as well as the DSM501 dust/particle sensor module. The DSM501 will be used to calculate the AQI. Once we have built our station, we can monitor the parameters on our computer screen or a separate LCD.
To check for accuracy, you can see the temperature, humidity, and AQI data on ClimaCell’s site and compare them with your station’s data.
Smoke Detection System: You can easily build a simple smoke detection system using an Arduino UNO, and an MQ-06 gas sensor. The sensor detects the concentration of gas in ppm. If the concentration crosses a certain threshold, the Arduino will trigger the alarm.
If you want to detect specific types of gas, you will have to use individual sensors. For instance, the sensor to detect carbon dioxide and nitrogen are not similar.
The project ideas discussed above are very basic. But as you continue to work on your development skills, you can improve on these ideas and build even more fascinating systems.
