Light Following Robot Does It The Analog Way https://hackaday.com/2026/01/28/light-following-robot-does-it-the-analog-way/
#RobotsHacks #Robot #Robots
#RobotsHacks
Light Following Robot Does It The Analog Way
https://web.brid.gy/r/https://hackaday.com/2026/01/28/light-following-robot-does-it-the-analog-way/
![<div><img alt="" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" height="449" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/img_20171210_164627-e1769401366862.webp?w=800" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" width="800" /></div><p>If you wanted to build a robot that chased light, you might start thinking about Raspberry Pis, cameras, and off-the-shelf computer vision systems. However, it needn’t be so complex. [Ed] of [Death and the Penguin] demonstrates this ably with a simple robot <a href="https://deathandthepenguinblog.wordpress.com/2017/12/10/a-simple-light-chasing-robot/" target="_blank">that finds the light the old-fashioned way.</a></p>
<p>The build is not dissimilar from many line-following and line chasing robots that graced the pages of electronics magazines 50 years ago or more. The basic circuit relies on a pair of light-dependent resistors (LDR), which are wrapped in cardboard tubes to effectively make their response highly directional. An op-amp is used to compare the resistance of each LDR. It then crudely steers the robot towards the brighter light between turning one motor hard on or the other, operating in a skid-steer style arrangement.</p>
<p>[Ed] then proceeded to improve the design further with the addition of a 555 timer IC. It’s set up to enable PWM-like control, allowing one motor to run at a lower speed than the other depending on the ratio between the light sensors. This provides much smoother steering than the hard-on](https://files.mastodon.social/cache/media_attachments/files/115/976/670/074/211/967/original/ed8f25883bbb928e.jpeg)
Electric Lawnmower Gets RC Controls https://hackaday.com/2026/01/27/electric-lawnmower-gets-rc-controls/
#Homehacks #RobotsHacks #Lawnmower #Remotecontrol #Robot #Wheelchairmower
Building A Little Quadruped Robot https://hackaday.com/2026/01/24/building-a-little-quadruped-robot/
#RobotsHacks #Quadruped #Quadrupedrobot #Robot #Servos
Robot Sees Light with No CPU https://hackaday.com/2026/01/19/robot-sees-light-with-no-cpu/
#Classichacks #RobotsHacks #CdScell #Ldr #Lightdependentresistor #Robot
The Best Robot Mop System: Flat, Spinning, or Roller? https://hackaday.com/2026/01/17/the-best-robot-mop-system-flat-spinning-or-roller/
#Homehacks #RobotsHacks #Robotmop
Building a Carousel Autosampler https://hackaday.com/2026/01/15/building-a-carousel-autosampler/
#RobotsHacks #ToolHacks #Autosampler #Laboratoryequipment
Tying up Loose Ends on a Rope-based Robot Actuator https://hackaday.com/2026/01/05/tying-up-loose-ends-on-a-rope-based-robot-actuator/
#RobotsHacks #BrushlessDCelectricmotor #Brushlessmotor #Capstan #Capstandrive #Reducer #Robotactuator
DIY 3D-Printed Arduino Self-Balancing Cube https://hackaday.com/2024/10/13/diy-3d-printed-arduino-self-balancing-cube/ #self-balancingcube #microcontrollers #microcontroller #selfbalancing #robotshacks #bluetooth #arduino #pcbway #motor #cube
Reconfigurable Tracked Robot Has Some Neat Flexible Abilities https://hackaday.com/2024/08/29/reconfigurable-tracked-robot-has-some-neat-flexible-abilities/ #trackedrobot #RobotsHacks #tracked #linked #tracks #robot
Robots Collaborate To Localize Themselves Precisely https://hackaday.com/2024/08/26/robots-collaborate-to-localize-themselves-precisely/ #localization #RaspberryPi4 #RobotsHacks #algorithm #robot #IMU
Achieving Human Level Competitive Robot Table Tennis https://hackaday.com/2024/08/11/achieving-human-level-competitive-robot-table-tennis/ #tabletennisrobot #RobotsHacks #pingpong #robot #ping #pong
Inside the Mecanum Wheel https://hackaday.com/2024/08/11/inside-the-mecanum-wheel/ #mecanumwheels #RobotsHacks #360movement #omni-wheel #omniwheel
Robot Arm Gives Kids the Roller Coaster Ride of their Lives https://hackaday.com/2024/08/10/robot-arm-gives-kids-the-roller-coaster-ride-of-their-lives/ #motionsimulator #rollercoaster #RobotsHacks #robotarm #gaming #KUKA #NUC
Obscure Sci Fi Robots https://hackaday.com/2024/08/07/obscure-sci-fi-robots/ #sciencefiction #RobotsHacks #movies
Re-imagining Telepresence With Humanoid Robots and VR Headsets https://hackaday.com/2024/07/30/re-imagining-telepresence-with-humanoid-robots-and-vr-headsets/ #VirtualReality #humanoidrobot #Teleoperation #stereocamera #telepresence #RobotsHacks #robotics #vr
An RC Tracked Robot, Without The Pain https://hackaday.com/2024/07/28/an-rc-tracked-robot-without-the-pain/ #3Dprintedrobot #RobotsHacks #raspberrypi #robot
A Robot Face with Human Skin https://hackaday.com/2024/07/25/a-robot-face-with-human-skin/ #softrobotics #RobotsHacks #biorobotics #biomimetic #biomimicry #humanoid #Science #robot
Robot Seeks and Sucks Up Cigarette Butts, With Its Feet https://hackaday.com/2024/07/20/robot-seeks-and-sucks-up-cigarette-butts-with-its-feet/ #cigarettebutt #RobotsHacks #greenhacks #vacuum #robot #trash
Flexures Make Robotic Fingers Simpler to Print https://hackaday.com/2024/07/16/flexures-make-robotic-fingers-simpler-to-print/ #compliantmechanism #anthropomorphic #printinplace #RobotsHacks #biomimetic #flexure #finger #spring
Client Info
Server: https://mastodon.social
Version: 2025.07
Repository: https://github.com/cyevgeniy/lmst