ANTHONY NISTOR // ULTRASONIC RADAR

Ultrasonic Radar System

A custom 3D-printed robotic radar mapping system designed to scan 180° spatial arcs, streaming live sonar telemetry over Serial for real-time PC visualization.

VIEW HARDWARE & VIDEO
// SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE

How the Radar System Operates

This project combines custom mechanical design, microcontroller firmware, and a real-time host application to deliver sonar mapping capability in a compact form factor.

  • 3D-Printed Character Design Houses an HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor inside an expressive dual-lens robot head.
  • 180° Servo Sweeping A precision micro servo smoothly rotates the scanner head across a 180-degree field of view.
  • Telemetry & GUI Rendering Live distance metrics are transmitted via serial cable to a PC radar interface which plots target detections onto a polar grid.
SYSTEM_DIAGRAM.LOG ACTIVE
1. SENSOR HEAD

Emits ultrasonic pulses (40 kHz)

HC-SR04
↓ Distance ping echo
2. MICROCONTROLLER

Calculates distance and servo angle

SERIAL TX
↓ USB serial data (angle, dist)
3. PC RADAR GUI

Renders the sweep vector and target blips

POLAR DISPLAY
// HARDWARE & SOFTWARE

System Component Breakdown

01

Ultrasonic Sensor

HC-SR04 sonar transducer measuring echo delay to detect targets up to 400 cm away with 3 mm precision.

02

Servo Actuator

SG90 micro servo providing smooth PWM-controlled positional movement across a continuous 180° sweep.

03

3D Printed Body

Custom PLA robot head chassis designed to retain the sonar sensor, organize wiring, and mount firmly onto the servo base.

04

Radar GUI Software

Desktop radar application rendering real-time polar sweep vectors, range rings, and persistent object decay blips.

// PROJECT MEDIA

Video Demonstration & Photos

Explore the physical build, hardware details, and live radar tracking in action.

REALTIME_DEMO_RECORDING.MP4 180° SCAN TEST

Live Radar Sweep Demonstration

Watch the 3D-printed robot head sweep back and forth while sending real-time distance telemetry to the desktop application. As a blue 3D cone is detected in front of the scanner, green target blips illuminate on the radar screen.

Front Hardware View
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Front Hardware View

Robotic head with dual ultrasonic sonar grilles and the neck servo mount.

3D Enclosure & Wiring
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3D Enclosure & Wiring

Side perspective highlighting cable routing and the base housing.

Target Detection Test
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Target Detection Test

Full bench setup with the target cone and the PC radar application active.

Live GUI Screen
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Live GUI Screen

Desktop radar screen displaying a real-time target cluster.

// SLIDESHOW

All Project Pictures

4 photographs and drawings from this build.

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20240312_222642.jpg
// TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

System Parameters & Metrics

PARAMETER SPECIFICATION / VALUE
Ultrasonic Sensor HC-SR04 (40 kHz sonar transducer)
Detection Range 2 cm to 400 cm
Scanning Field 180° horizontal arc sweep
Servo Motor SG90 9g micro servo (PWM driven)
Serial Telemetry USB serial, 9600 bps
Frame / GUI Custom polar radar interface with decaying target blips
Enclosure Material 3D-printed custom PLA chassis