A proof of concept to learn Arduino. The LCD displays the position of the servo and the calculated distance that the ultrasonic sensor sees.

Project Perspective

The Display Ultrasonic Sensor and Servo project is a fun and interactive way to learn about sensors and actuators. By mounting an HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor onto a Micro Servo Motor, you can create a scanning system that measures distances and displays the values in real-time on an Arduino LCD Screen.

Technical Implementation: Scanning and Measurement

The project uses the Servo and LiquidCrystal libraries to manage the hardware.

• Servo Control: A Rotary Potentiometer allows you to manually control the angle of the servo, rotating it from 0 to 180 degrees.
• Ultrasonic Ranging: The HC-SR04 sensor is triggered by the Arduino's digital pins to send out sound pulses. The time it takes for the echo to return is then used to calculate the distance in centimeters.
• Display Output: The current angle of the servo and the measured distance are updated and shown on the 16x2 LCD screen for immediate feedback.

Hardware Infrastructure

• Arduino Uno: The primary controller for the scanning logic and sensor data.
• HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor: Providing digital input based on the distance to an object.
• Micro Servo Motor (SG90): Provides the physical movement for the ultrasonic sensor.
• Arduino LCD Screen (16x2): Displays the current angle and distance readings.
• Rotary Potentiometer: Allows for manual control of the servo's position.
• Jumper Wires: Connect all the components together.

Monitoring and Logic

The Arduino code uses analogRead() to get the position of the potentiometer and scales it to a 0-180 degree range for the servo. At each position, it triggers the ultrasonic sensor, calculates the distance, and updates the LCD display.

Future Expansion

• Autonomous Scanning: Program the servo to sweep back and forth automatically and plot the data on your computer's Serial Plotter.
• Object Tracking: Use several ultrasonic sensors to track and follow objects as they move.
• Radar-Style Display Integration: Connect to a computer running Processing to create a visual radar-style display of the sensor's readings.
• Obstacle Avoidance Integration: Add wheels and a motor driver to create a robot that uses this scanning system to avoid obstacles in its path.

Display Ultrasonic Sensor and Servo is a perfect project for any electronics enthusiast looking for a more interactive and engaging sensor tool!