Client Overview

Client: Stealth robotics education startup

Industry: Education

Problem: Design a low-cost, eco-friendly line-following robot with full documentation, aimed at middle school students learning robotics.

The Challenge

The client needed a robot that was simple enough to build and understand, even for kids with no prior experience. Existing tutorials were either too complex or required soldering, and other kits on the market were expensive and hard to replicate at scale.

Our Approach

Using our experience with Raspberry Pi hardware and Python-based robotics, we rapidly selected a sensor suite, assembled components, and built a functioning robot within one week. The focus was on simplicity, durability, and avoiding any steep learning curve for the students.

Technologies, Tools, and Platforms Used

• Raspberry Pi
• Python
• Flask
• SSH for remote debugging

We used Raspberry Pi because of its Python support and extensive open-source resources. It’s a familiar and flexible platform for educational robotics and easy to maintain across multiple kits.

The Solution

• Assembled the robot using solar-powered batteries, a durable but affordable frame, and solderless connections to keep it accessible
• Built and tested a simple line-following algorithm using low-cost IR sensors
• Also implemented an obstacle avoidance algorithm.
• Created a Flask-based control interface to allow students to remotely start and stop the robot
• Wrote thorough documentation with images and clear instructions, broken into four sub-courses for step-by-step learning

The Outcome

The robot successfully followed lines in all classroom trials. Students were able to complete the build and run the robot reliably. We provided a full video demonstration of the robot in action as part of the deliverable.

Client Feedback

The client confirmed that students were able to follow along with the instructions and successfully complete the course modules. No issues were reported during deployment.

Impact

No specific metrics provided, but the robot was delivered ahead of schedule, with zero soldering required, and functioned reliably in all test cases. The client is planning to expand on the course structure using this system as the baseline.

See an example of this robot here

@mshilleh Autonomous Line Following Robot with Raspberry Pi - Demo #robotics #raspberrypi #python #coding #robot #autonomousvehicle #programming ♬ original sound - Shilleh