ARDUINO RADAR SYSTEM WITH ROTATING ULTRASONIC SENSOR
Classic Radar Project - 8 Slides
=== SLIDE 1: TITLE SLIDE ===
Title: Real-Time Radar System Simulation with Arduino and Ultrasonic Sensor
Subtitle: Rotating Sensor with Visual Radar Display
Team Members: [Add Your Names]
Course: Electronics and Communication Engineering
Institution: [Your College Name]
Date: September 25, 2025
=== SLIDE 2: PROJECT OVERVIEW ===
Title: Classic Arduino Radar System
What We're Building:
• Arduino-controlled radar system with rotating ultrasonic sensor
• Real-time visual radar display using Processing IDE
• Detects objects in 180° scanning area
• Green radar screen with red object indicators
Key Features:
• Servo motor rotates HC-SR04 sensor from 0° to 180°
• Distance measurement at each angle
• Real-time data visualization on computer screen
• Classic radar appearance with scanning line animation
Why This Project:
• Popular and well-documented Arduino project
• Combines hardware control with software visualization
• Demonstrates radar principles effectively
• Great for learning Arduino and Processing programming
Applications:
• Educational demonstration of radar technology
• Object detection and mapping
• Security and surveillance systems
• Robotics obstacle detection
=== SLIDE 3: HARDWARE COMPONENTS ===
Title: Required Components
Essential Hardware:
1. Arduino Uno R3
• Main microcontroller board
• Controls servo motor and reads sensor data
• USB programming and power
2. HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor
• Distance measurement: 2cm to 400cm
• 40kHz ultrasonic waves
• 4-pin connection (VCC, GND, Trig, Echo)
3. SG90 Micro Servo Motor
• 180° rotation capability
• Precise angular positioning
• Mounts the ultrasonic sensor
4. Supporting Components:
• Breadboard for connections
• Jumper wires (male-to-male)
• USB cable for Arduino
• Servo mounting bracket (optional)
Software Requirements:
• Arduino IDE for microcontroller programming
• Processing IDE for radar visualization
• Serial communication between both programs
=== SLIDE 4: WORKING PRINCIPLE ===
Title: How the Radar System Works
Scanning Process:
1. Servo Rotation:
• Motor rotates from 0° to 180° and back
• Each step is typically 1-3 degrees
• Sensor mounted on servo arm
2. Distance Measurement:
• At each angle, HC-SR04 measures distance
• Ultrasonic waves sent and echo received
• Time converted to distance using formula
3. Data Transmission:
• Arduino sends "Angle,Distance" via serial
• Format: "90,25." means 25cm at 90°
• Continuous data stream to computer
4. Visual Display:
• Processing receives serial data
• Creates green radar screen interface
• Red dots show detected objects
• Scanning line animates rotation
Distance Calculation:
Distance (cm) = (Echo pulse duration × 0.034) / 2
Why 0.034?
• Speed of sound = 343 m/s = 0.034 cm/μs
• Division by 2 for round-trip time
=== SLIDE 5: CIRCUIT CONNECTIONS ===
Title: Simple Wiring Setup
Connection Details:
HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor:
• VCC → Arduino 5V
• GND → Arduino GND
• Trig → Arduino Digital Pin 8
• Echo → Arduino Digital Pin 9
SG90 Servo Motor:
• Red wire (VCC) → Arduino 5V
• Brown/Black wire (GND) → Arduino GND
• Orange/Yellow wire (Signal) → Arduino Digital Pin 12
Power Supply:
• Arduino powered via USB cable
• USB provides 5V for both sensor and servo
• No external power supply needed
Mounting:
• Ultrasonic sensor mounted on servo arm
• Sensor should rotate with servo motor
• Stable base for Arduino and breadboard
Circuit Features:
• Only 6 wire connections total
• Simple breadboard assembly
• All components share common 5V and GND
• Easy to troubleshoot and modify
=== SLIDE 6: PROGRAMMING IMPLEMENTATION ===
Title: Arduino and Processing Code
Arduino Programming:
Main Functions:
• setup(): Initialize servo and serial communication
• loop(): Rotate servo and measure distances
• calculateDistance(): HC-SR04 sensor reading
Code Structure:
```cpp
#include <Servo.h>
Servo myServo;
// Scan from 15° to 165°
for(angle = 15; angle <= 165; angle++) {
myServo.write(angle);
distance = calculateDistance();
Serial.print(angle);
Serial.print(",");
Serial.println(distance);
}
```
Processing Visualization:
Key Features:
• Real-time radar screen display
• Green circular radar interface
• Red dots for detected objects
• Scanning line animation
• Distance and angle information
Serial Communication:
• Arduino sends: "Angle,Distance."
• Processing receives and parses data
• Updates radar display in real-time
• Smooth animation and object tracking
=== SLIDE 7: RESULTS & PERFORMANCE ===
Title: System Performance and Testing
Technical Specifications:
Detection Performance:
• Range: 2cm to 400cm (4 meters)
• Accuracy: ±3mm at close range
• Scanning angle: 150° (15° to 165°)
• Scan speed: Adjustable (typically 1-3°/step)
• Update rate: 5-10 Hz depending on resolution
Visual Display Features:
• Real-time radar screen with concentric circles
• Green scanning line showing current position
• Red object indicators at detected positions
• Distance information display
• Angle markings (30°, 60°, 90°, 120°, 150°)
Testing Results:
✓ Successfully detects various objects (books, walls, people)
✓ Accurate distance measurements up to 3 meters
✓ Smooth servo rotation and sensor scanning
✓ Real-time visualization with minimal delay
✓ Stable operation for extended periods
Limitations:
• Limited to line-of-sight detection
• Affected by soft materials (foam, fabric)
• Environmental factors (temperature, humidity)
• Servo speed limits scanning frequency
=== SLIDE 8: APPLICATIONS & CONCLUSION ===
Title: Applications and Project Conclusion
Real-World Applications:
Educational Applications:
• Demonstration of radar principles
• Arduino and Processing programming
• Sensor interfacing and motor control
• Real-time data visualization
Practical Applications:
• Security monitoring systems
• Obstacle detection for robots
• Parking assistance systems
• Room mapping and navigation
• Intruder detection systems
Project Achievements:
✓ Successfully built working radar system
✓ Implemented real-time object detection
✓ Created professional radar visualization
✓ Combined hardware and software effectively
✓ Cost-effective alternative to commercial radar
Key Learning Outcomes:
• Arduino programming and sensor interfacing
• Processing IDE for data visualization
• Serial communication between programs
• Motor control and positioning
• Real-time system development
Advantages:
• Low cost (under $25 total)
• Easy to build and understand
• Excellent educational value
• Customizable and expandable
• Open-source platform
Future Enhancements:
• Add multiple sensors for better coverage
• Implement object tracking algorithms
• Add audio alerts for detected objects
• Create mobile app interface
• Integrate with IoT platforms
• Add data logging capabilities
Thank You!
Questions & Discussion
