LidarBot
LidarBot is a 3D printed robot that uses a Raspberry Pi Pico and Lidar to navigate its environment. It is designed for educational purposes and can be used to teach programming and robotics.
26 April 20252 minute read
By Kevin McAleer
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Table of Contents
LidarBot
LidarBot is a 3D printed robot that uses a Raspberry Pi Pico and Lidar to navigate its environment. It is designed for educational purposes and can be used to teach programming and robotics.
Video
For every project I create, I often make a corresponding YouTube video. Sometimes, there might be more than one video for a single project. You can find these videos in this section.
Explore more through this this dedicated video.
When I created the Explora robot, and later Cubie-1 Robot, I used the RPLidar A1 Lidar sensor. These sensors cost around $100 at the time and connected to the Raspberry Pi via USB. The RPLidar A1 is a great sensor, but I wanted to create a robot that was cheaper and easier to build.
LD Robot launched the low cost (I paid £25) LD06 Lidar sensor on Kickstarter in 2024. The LD06 is a 360 degree Lidar sensor that can be used to create a 2D map of the environment. The LD06 is a great sensor for the price, and I wanted to create a robot that could use it.
LidarBot
LidarBot is a proof of concept robot that uses the LD06 Lidar sensor to detect obstacles and navigate around them. The robot is built using the Raspberry Pi Pico and the Kitronik Motor Driver board.
I based the robot’s chassis on BurgerBot, as its quick to print and easy to modify. The robot uses two DC motors to drive the wheels, and the Lidar sensor is mounted on the front of the robot. The DC motors are connected to the Kitronik Motor Driver board, which is controlled by the Raspberry Pi Pico.
Bill of Materials
| Part | Description | Qty | Price | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pico | Raspberry Pi Pico WH | 1 | £6.80 | £6.80 |
| Lidar | LD06 Lidar Sensor | 1 | £25.00 | £25.00 |
| Motor Driver | Kitronik Motor Driver | 1 | £10.00 | £10.00 |
| Motors | DC Motors | 2 | £5.00 | £10.00 |
| Jumper | Jumper Wires | 1 | £2.00 | £2.00 |
| M3 screws | M3 Screws | 9 | £0.20 | £1.80 |
Design
Chassis
Lidar holder
Motor Driver Holder
Wiring
Work in Progress
The code for LidarBot is available on GitHub. The code is written in MicroPython. this is a work in progress as the Lidar I have is broken (I made the wild assumtion that the red cable was 5V and the black cable was GND, however it turned out that this was incorrect). I have ordered a new Lidar and will update the code when it arrives.
3D Models
Here are the 3D printable STL files:
STL List
| File | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| lidarbot_chassis.stl | Chassis - lidarbot_chassis.stl | |
| lidarbot_kitronik_motor_holder.stl | Lidar - lidarbot_kitronik_motor_holder.stl | |
| lidarbot_lidar_holder.stl | Lidar holder - lidarbot_lidar_holder.stl | |
| lidarbot_motor_holder.stl | Motor Holder - lidarbot_motor_holder.stl |
