Title

HC SR04 Ultrasonic Distance Sensor using Arduino

Authors: Maglinao, John Rex

Padua, John Carlo
Velasquez, Gene Ahmiel

Abstract
Distance is a scalar measure of the spatial interval between two locations measured along
the actual path connecting them. It is very important to know the exact distance of an object,
place, and other perspectives. In this project, the group apply the use of electronics to determine
the distance of a specific object using the Arduino and ultrasonic sensor related to how physics
works in scaling the measurements.

Introduction
The era of modernization like this technology has an important role in our everyday life.
The development of technological knowledge has brought people to a better era and so with the
development of many people who often do research. In this study, the author aims to design a
microcontroller-based pull up device using ultrasonic sensors, to facilitate the pull up counter,
this system consists of various electronic components such as Arduino, Ultrasonic sensors, and
Text Running LEDs. It is unique to use distance meter with ultrasonic distance sensor. It is
proven that it works perfect and can be used for a lot of things, like robot positioning etc. Using
the Arduino, the group will determine the distance of an object with these sensor and how? First,
let us look to the function of the ultrasonic sensor. The ultrasonic sensors measured distance by
using ultrasonic waves. The sensor head emits an ultrasonic wave and receives the wave
reflected back from the target. These sensors measure the distance to the target by measuring the
time between the emission and reception. In these, it is easy to identify the distance of an object
without using ruler, or any measuring tool which is likely hassle and hard especially if the
measure needs exact distance measurement or there are obstacle which is essential if the
researchers are doing projects.

Literature Review
Obstacle detection has been the topic of much concern since past few decades. The most
common myth of accident being unavoidable is a bane of any society. Accidents can be
unintentional and sometimes can be random but are generally found to occur due to the
unexpected obstacles on the moving path. We describe the design of the obstacle detector
irrespective of their movements. It detects the discontinuities in terrain and alerts users of
potential hazards like open manholes, potholes, protrusions, etc. which are common on Indian
roads. Hence, automobile safety can be improved by anticipating a crash before it occurs and
thereby providing additional time to deploy safety technologies. Warnings can be like alarms and
beeps, if the vehicle is approaching a pothole, or any moving obstacle, driver can be warned in
advance regarding what the road entails. (Anusha, S, Sandhya .G.S 2017)
There are several ways to measure distance without contact. The selection of distance
measurement sensor in order to apply it in any application is very important to avoid any invalid
experimental results. Measurement using ultrasonic sensor is cheapest among various other
options. The paper proposed to build an efficient module that consists of ultrasonic sensor HC-
SR04 with 89s52 microcontroller for distance measurement. This device make the use of
microcontroller for calculation of distance and displaying the obtained results on LCD The
experimental setup and result are described. And sensor’s maximum range of object detection is
4m. (Kaur. M, Pal. J, 2015)

Materials
 Arduino Uno (The board of the circuit)
 Ultrasonic Sensor - HC-SR04 (The sensor for the determining the distance)
 Standard LCD 16x2 (Either with I2C or not)
 Single Turn Potentiometer 10k ohms (For the lcd and the distance)
 Set of Jumper Wires (For the connection of the circuit)
 Breadboard (For the testing of the circuit)

Methodology
To know how the project works, the group will define the function of the ultrasonic
sensor. According to Cook S. (2018), Ultrasonic sensors work by emitting sound waves at a
frequency too high for humans to hear. They then wait for the sound to be reflected back,
calculating distance based on the time required. This is similar to how radar measures the time it
takes a radio wave to return after hitting an object.
There are some sensors used as separate sound emitter and receiver. It is also possible to
combine these into one package device, having an ultrasonic element alternate between emitting
and receiving signals. This type of sensor can be manufactured in a smaller package than with
separate elements, which is convenient for applications where size is at a premium. This time,
the group use the HC SR04 ultrasonic sensor for the project to work and how it will help to
calculate the distance of an object.
It is similar to a radar since it also detecting the distance of an object who is moving on a
very large scale and also using waves to identify the speed and movement of the thing. Radio
waves are been used to radar but in HC SR04, it is using echo waves since this sensor is small
and can detect only a limit of distance
of an object.
The ultrasonic sensor uses
sonar to determine the distance to an
object. The transmitter or (trig pin)
sends a high-frequency sound as a
signal and then transmitter or (echo
pin) receives it.
The HC-SR04 ultrasonic
sensor uses sonar to determine
distance to an object like bats do. It
offers excellent non-contact range
detection with high accuracy and
stable readings in an easy-to-use
package. Pendergast R. (2013)
Using the Arduino and all of the given materials, the group can perform the test to know
the exact distance by the Arduino IDE codes and some peripherals. For instance, while radar, or
even light-based sensors, have a difficult time correctly processing clear plastic, ultrasonic
sensors have no problem with this. In fact, they’re unaffected by the color of the material they
are sensing. On the other hand, if an object is made out of a material that absorbs sound or is
shaped in such a way that it reflects the sound waves away from the receiver, readings will be
unreliable.
Also Mr Cook added the formula that will be use as a code for the sensor in his
statement:” If you need to measure the specific distance from your sensor, this can be calculated
based on this formula:
Distance = ½ T x C
(T = Time and C = the speed of sound)”
This will be added to the code needed using the program Arduino IDE and also to be
more technological purpose, the group will add the Standard LCD 16x2 and the 10k ohms
potentiometer to show the distance in a digital way.
References
(n.d.). IJSRD Call for Papers & International Journal of Science.
https://www.ijsrd.com/articles/IJSRDV3I50440.pdf
A literature survey on obstacle detection and their movement for automobiles. (n.d.).
Semantic Scholar | AI-Powered Research Tool. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/A-
LITERATURE-SURVEY-ON-OBSTACLE-DETECTION-AND-THEIR-Anusha-
G.S/ed960c18b2b0493fccbb1e8fabe2667534874b2f
Ultrasonic sensor. (n.d.). Academia.edu - Share
research. https://www.academia.edu/Documents/in/Ultrasonic_Sensor
Elert, G. (n.d.). Distance and displacement – The physics Hypertextbook. The Physics
Hypertextbook. https://physics.info/displacement/summary.shtml
Access denied. (n.d.). Electronic Components Online | Find Electronic Parts |
Arrow.com. https://www.arrow.com/en/research-and-events/articles/ultrasonic-sensors-how-
they-work-and-how-to-use-them-with-arduino
Complete guide for ultrasonic sensor HC-SR04 with Arduino. (2020, March 17). Random
Nerd Tutorials. https://randomnerdtutorials.com/complete-guide-for-ultrasonic-sensor-hc-
sr04/https://www.explainthatstuff.com/radar.html
Ultrasonic sensor with LCD I2C. (2018, November 19). Hackster.io.
https://www.hackster.io/Oniichan_is_ded/ultrasonic-sensor-with-lcd-i2c-dc16e9