VEX Autonomous Maze Navigator

Run video

Video goes here

Upload the clip as assets/video/vex.mp4 or assets/video/vex.mov and it appears automatically.

• Collaborated in a team to design, build, and program a fully autonomous VEX IQ robot capable of maze navigation and object retrieval.
• Designed a 3-wheel drive chassis with a motor-driven arm and claw system to reliably retrieve objects placed at varying heights.
• Developed the full autonomy stack in C++ using the VEX IQ API, structuring the code with vectors, custom functions, and a directional state machine.
• Implemented autonomous maze exploration using line tracking, colour-coded intersections, and dead-end detection in an unknown grid-based environment.
• Integrated multi-sensor fusion using an inertial sensor, optical colour sensor, distance sensor, bumper sensor, touch LED, and motor encoders for robust environmental awareness.
• Logged navigation decisions (left, right, straight, U-turn) into an action vector, enabling path memory and post-processing.
• Designed a shortest-path return algorithm that compresses the explored route by eliminating loops and reversing/inverting turns after object retrieval.
• Implemented dynamic heading correction using inertial feedback and proportional speed control to maintain accurate alignment and reduce drift.
• Developed a sensor-triggered pickup sequence coordinating arm and claw motion once the object was detected.
• Tuned motion parameters for precise rotations, grid alignment, and line reacquisition, ensuring repeatable performance across multiple runs.