Create a Gesture Controlled Robot

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

This project will guide you through building a gesture-controlled robot using an ESP32 and an MPU6050 sensor.

Components Required

• ESP32 or Arduino microcontroller
• MPU6050 Gyroscope and Accelerometer module
• Motor driver (L298N or similar)
• DC motors (2 or 4, depending on your design)
• Chassis for the robot
• Breadboard and jumper wires
• Power supply for the motors

Wiring the Circuit

Follow these steps to connect your components:

• Connect the MPU6050 to the ESP32 using I2C (SDA to GPIO 21 and SCL to GPIO 22).
• Connect the motor driver to the ESP32 (control pins to GPIOs) and to the motors.
• Power the motors and the ESP32 from a suitable power source.

Programming the Microcontroller

1. Open the Arduino IDE (or your preferred IDE).

2. Upload the following sample code:

#include <Wire.h>
#include <MPU6050.h>

MPU6050 mpu;

// Define motor control pins
const int motorAForward = 25;
const int motorABackward = 26;
const int motorBForward = 27;
const int motorBBackward = 14;

void setup() {
    Serial.begin(115200);
    Wire.begin();
    mpu.initialize();

    pinMode(motorAForward, OUTPUT);
    pinMode(motorABackward, OUTPUT);
    pinMode(motorBForward, OUTPUT);
    pinMode(motorBBackward, OUTPUT);
}

void loop() {
    int16_t ax, ay, az, gx, gy, gz;
    mpu.getMotion6(&ax, &ay, &az, &gx, &gy, &gz);

    // Control robot based on gesture
    if (ay > 2000) {  // Tilt forward
        moveForward();
    } else if (ay < -2000) {  // Tilt backward
        moveBackward();
    } else if (ax > 2000) {  // Tilt right
        turnRight();
    } else if (ax < -2000) {  // Tilt left
        turnLeft();
    } else {
        stop();
    }

    delay(100);
}

void moveForward() {
    digitalWrite(motorAForward, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(motorABackward, LOW);
    digitalWrite(motorBForward, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(motorBBackward, LOW);
}

void moveBackward() {
    digitalWrite(motorAForward, LOW);
    digitalWrite(motorABackward, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(motorBForward, LOW);
    digitalWrite(motorBBackward, HIGH);
}

void turnRight() {
    digitalWrite(motorAForward, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(motorABackward, LOW);
    digitalWrite(motorBForward, LOW);
    digitalWrite(motorBBackward, LOW);
}

void turnLeft() {
    digitalWrite(motorAForward, LOW);
    digitalWrite(motorABackward, LOW);
    digitalWrite(motorBForward, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(motorBBackward, LOW);
}

void stop() {
    digitalWrite(motorAForward, LOW);
    digitalWrite(motorABackward, LOW);
    digitalWrite(motorBForward, LOW);
    digitalWrite(motorBBackward, LOW);
}
        

Conclusion

Your gesture-controlled robot is now ready! By tilting the MPU6050 sensor, you can control the robot's movement. This project can be further enhanced by integrating additional sensors, such as ultrasonic sensors for obstacle avoidance, or using Bluetooth/Wi-Fi for remote control.