Early Engineering Project
Object Follower and Barrier-Escaping Robot
A robotics project that combined mechanical build, embedded sensing, computer vision, and autonomous movement logic so a mobile robot could follow a target object while escaping barriers.
Why This Project
The goal was to build a mobile robot that could perceive a moving target, follow it using image-processing logic, and avoid barriers while navigating. The project connected mechanical construction, sensor integration, vision-based perception, and embedded control in a single autonomous system.
Robot Platform
The robot platform was fabricated as a custom mobile base with drive motors, control electronics, camera input, proximity sensors, and embedded control hardware. The system had to be physically robust enough for repeated testing while remaining flexible enough to support vision and obstacle-avoidance experiments.
The project turned sensing and image processing into real-time movement decisions on a fabricated robotic platform.
Computer Vision and Sensing
I took charge of robot fabrication and sensor integration, and led the incorporation of computer-vision-based sensing and processing. The workflow used image processing to detect and localize the target object, then translated the observed target position into movement commands for the robot.
Autonomous Routing
The robot combined vision-based object following with barrier detection from proximity sensors. IR sensors supported short-range barrier response, while ultrasonic sensing provided wider-range awareness. These sensor inputs were integrated into routing logic so the robot could continue following the object while responding to obstacles in its path.
What It Demonstrated
The project demonstrated a complete perception-to-action pipeline: camera input, target detection, sensor fusion for local safety, embedded actuation, and autonomous movement decisions. It was an early example of the kind of integrated system-building that now shows up in my work on scientific workflows, AI interfaces, and decision-support platforms.
My Role
I led the team in the fabrication and integration work, with direct responsibility for building the robot platform, integrating sensors, and connecting computer vision, processing, and autonomous routing into the final behavior.