Arduino mini projects for engineering students
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A mini project should be small enough to finish in a few weeks and big enough to explain in a viva. The ideas on this page fit that size. Each one is a project that already runs on this site, with the wiring and the code, so you can see it work before you choose it.
The circuit above is a calculator: a 5x4 keypad and a 16x2 LCD on an Arduino Uno. Type a number, an operator and another number, then press equals. It divides by zero the honest way.
The projects are grouped by branch, but pick what interests you. A good mini project is one you can explain line by line.
For electronics and communication (ECE)
A wireless doorbell. Two Arduino boards with an nRF24L01 radio each. The button on one rings the lamp on the other, and the sender knows the message arrived. Extend it: send a short code, and ring a different tone for each sender.
An IR remote control for lamps. A handset, an IR receiver and three lamps. The sketch decodes the NEC protocol from pulse widths. Extend it: learn a new button and store it in EEPROM.
A clap switch. A sound sensor module toggles a lamp on a clap. Extend it: two claps for on and one for off, with a time window.
For electrical (EEE)
A power meter. An INA219 measures the current through a load, and an ADS1115 reads the voltage. Extend it: show power and energy on an LCD, and reset the energy with a button.
A four-channel relay board. Four lamps switched in a sequence from pins 2 to 5. Extend it: a timer for each channel, set from a keypad.
A solar sensor node. A panel charges an 18650 cell through a TP4056, and the board reports the battery voltage. Extend it: work out the power budget, and sleep between readings.
For mechanical and mechatronics
An obstacle avoiding robot car. Two motors on an L298N and an HC-SR04 on the front. The car turns away when something comes within 25 cm. Extend it: scan left and right with a servo before it turns.
A line follower cart. A five-channel line sensor and two motors on a TB6612FNG. Extend it: tune the steering so the cart follows a curve without shaking.
A color sorter. A TCS34725 color sensor looks at each candy, and a servo swings a chute to its bin. Extend it: count each color and show the totals.
For computer science
A keypad calculator. The project above. The interesting part is the math: every value is a whole number of hundredths, and overflow is checked before it happens. Extend it: add memory keys.
A game on a display. Snake on an 8x16 LED matrix, steered with a thumb stick. Extend it: add levels that speed up, and keep a high score in EEPROM.
A number guessing game. A telephone keypad and an LCD. The display says higher or lower after each guess. Extend it: limit the guesses and show a score.
For any branch
A keypad door lock. A 4x4 keypad, a relay and an RGB LED. Type the code and the relay clicks. Extend it: lock out after three wrong codes.
A touchless soap dispenser. An infrared sensor and a pump on a transistor. Hold a hand under the spout and it pumps one dose. Extend it: count the doses and warn when the soap is low.
A digital scale. A load cell on an HX711, with tare and a scale factor. Extend it: add an LCD and a button to switch between grams and ounces.
How to choose
Pick a project you can explain end to end. If you cannot say what every wire does, pick a smaller one and extend it.
Check the parts before you commit. Some modules are common and cheap, and some are hard to find in a hurry. The parts list is on each project page.
Think about the demo. A project that moves, lights up or makes a sound is easy to show in two minutes. A project that only prints numbers needs a display or a graph to make its point.
Ask your guide early. Many departments have rules on what counts as a mini project, such as a minimum number of parts or a need for a sensor.
How to turn an idea into a mini project
Open the project, press Run and use it. Read the sketch from top to bottom. Most of the built-in sketches explain themselves in comments at the top.
Then change one thing, and then one more. The extension is what makes the project yours. Your guide will ask what you added, not what you copied.
Write down each change and why you made it. That list becomes the method section of your report.
Finally, build it on real hardware if your course asks for it. The code is standard Arduino C++. Test the final circuit on the bench before your demo.
Questions
Can I submit a simulated project?
That depends on your course. Many courses want a working hardware demo. Use the simulator to design and test first, then build the hardware.
Are the parts in these projects easy to buy?
Most of them are common modules sold in starter kits and by electronics shops. Check the parts list of each project before you choose.
Can my team work on one project together?
Yes. Share the project with a link. With a free account, two people can edit it live. With Pro, there is no limit on people, and students get Pro at half price.
Do I need to install anything?
No. It runs in the browser on a laptop, a Chromebook or a phone. The first build downloads the compiler once, and then it is saved.
Keep going
Build this for real
Open the editor, change a value and watch the number move with it. Nothing to install, and no account needed.