360° LIDAR Spatial Mapper – COMP ENG 2DX3

Project Overview

This project implements a fully functional, embedded 3D LIDAR scanner capable of mapping indoor environments. The system autonomously collects spatial data by rotating a Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensor, processes the measurements on a microcontroller, and transmits the data to a PC for real-time 3D point cloud visualization in MATLAB.

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System Architecture

Hardware Components

• Microcontroller: TI MSP432E401Y – ARM Cortex-M4F @ 14MHz, 1MB Flash
• Distance Sensor: VL53L1X ToF Sensor – 400cm range, 50Hz sampling, 940nm laser
• Actuation System: 28BYJ-48 Stepper Motor – 512 steps/revolution, 11.25° resolution
• Motor Driver: ULN2003 Driver Board
• User Interface: Onboard push buttons (PJ0, PJ1) and status LEDs

Software & Communication

• Embedded Development: Keil uVision 5 IDE with C programming
• Data Visualization: MATLAB for 3D point cloud plotting
• Communication Protocols: I2C (ToF to MCU), UART (MCU to PC @ 115200 bps)

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Key Features

• High-Precision Scanning: Captures distance measurements at 11.25° angular increments
• Real-Time Data Processing: Onboard polar-to-Cartesian coordinate conversion
• Interactive Control: Hardware-triggered scan initiation via push buttons
• 3D Spatial Reconstruction: Generates accurate 3D models by stacking 2D scans with user-defined depth displacement
• Visual Feedback: Status LEDs indicate measurement progress and data transmission

How It Works

1. Initialization: Press PJ1 to initialize the ToF sensor and enable scanning mode
2. Scanning: Press PJ0 to start motor rotation and data acquisition
3. Data Collection: ToF sensor takes measurements every 11.25° of rotation
4. Data Transmission: Microcontroller sends distance and angle data via UART to PC
5. 3D Visualization: MATLAB processes incoming data and generates real-time 3D point clouds
6. Depth Progression: System is physically displaced between scans to build 3D spatial data

Technical Specifications

• Angular Resolution: 11.25° (32 measurements per full rotation)
• Maximum Range: 400cm (VL53L1X specification)
• Communication Speed: 115200 bps UART, 100 kbps I2C
• Power Requirements: 3.3V (MCU/ToF), 5V (Stepper Motor)
• Scan Cycle Time: ~10 seconds per 360° rotation

Applications

• Indoor environment mapping and modeling
• Obstacle detection and spatial awareness systems
• Embedded systems education and prototyping
• Low-cost 3D scanning solutions

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Developed for COMP ENG 2DX3 at McMaster University