Industrial Innovations

Industrial Innovations

Design and Implementation of a Low-Cost Pneumatic Position Control System Using Arduino and VL53L0X Laser Distance Sensor

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Mechatronics Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Arak, Iran
2 Department of Manufacturing and Production Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Arak, Iran
Abstract
Despite theoretical advancements in pneumatic control algorithms, industrial implementation of these systems faces significant limitations due to high hardware costs and execution complexities. This paper introduces a practical and cost-effective approach for a pneumatic position control system utilizing the Arduino Uno microcontroller and the VL53L0X laser distance sensor. The proposed system has successfully achieved its control objectives, demonstrating high accuracy (less than 1% error) in positioning and exhibiting short response times, including a rise time of 1 second and a settling time of 7 seconds. Alongside the evaluation of performance metrics, this research specifically addresses key practical implementation challenges, such as managing electrical noise, real-time processing constraints on low-cost hardware platforms, and sensor calibration procedures. The obtained results suggest that with meticulous and intelligent design, an acceptable level of industrial performance can be attained at a substantially lower cost, thereby opening new avenues for automation development in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and educational institutions.
Keywords


Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 12 May 2026

  • Receive Date 12 April 2026
  • Revise Date 06 May 2026
  • Accept Date 12 May 2026