Low-cost implementation of an autonomous navigation robot with LiDAR for educational robotics using raspberry Pi

Abstract

Modern technical curricula must include robotics education. But the accessibility is restricted by it’s high cost. Using a Raspberry Pi and LiDAR, this project presents an inexpensive autonomous navigational robot made especially for robotics education. The robot is affordable without compromising necessary features such as obstacle recognition and path planning. This gives students practical experience in creating and programming autonomous systems. The idea uses a low cost LiDAR sensor and integrates with a Raspberry Pi in order to strike a balance between budget and functionality. This study assesses the robot’s performance in a variety of different controlled conditions and details its design, fabrication, and testing. We examine the trade-offs when reducing cost, which highlights how this system is a useful educational tool.