01
Gas sensing
Methane activity
The MQ-4 watches for changes in nearby gas levels and sends the raw reading to the dashboard.
A V0 prototype model for a mine rescue rover.
DeepTrack is a small four-wheel rover built to explore hard-to-reach spaces, watch its surroundings and send useful readings back to an operator.
What it can do
Useful tools for a first prototype.
02
Environment
Temperature & humidity
A DHT22 keeps track of heat and moisture so the operator has more context about the route.
03
Movement
Assisted self-drive
Distance sensors help the rover spot obstacles, choose open space and stop before a collision.
04
Connection
Works offline
The rover and gateway talk directly over ESP-NOW. The core controls do not need internet access.
Hardware
The main parts and what they add.
Real hobby components, chosen to make the rover easy to build, test and repair.
ControlESP32 controller
Reads the sensors, runs the rover logic and sends updates to the gateway.
AirMQ-4 gas sensor
Reports raw methane-sensitive activity. It is useful for trends, not certified safety readings.
ClimateDHT22 sensor
Measures the temperature and relative humidity around the rover.
DistanceHC-SR04 sonar
Checks the space directly ahead and helps stop the rover before it reaches an obstacle.
MotionOptical encoder
Measures wheel rotation to estimate speed and distance traveled.
TiltMPU6050 IMU
Adds tilt and movement context when the rover travels over uneven ground.
DistanceVL53L0X ToF
High-precision Time-of-Flight laser sensor for millimeter-accurate obstacle detection.
LiquidWater contact probe
Detects the presence of water or puddles under the rover chassis.
Drive4WD drive system
Four geared motors and two motor drivers provide simple skid-steer movement.
Architecture
Dual-ESP32 Responsibility Split
DeepTrack physically isolates mission-critical safety from high-level interfaces using two distinct microcontrollers linked wirelessly.
1. Rover ESP32
Runs the rover's core hardware loop. Reads all physical sensors, enforces local collision protection, actuates the four-wheel chassis, and broadcasts telemetry.
wifi Wireless ESP-NOW Data Link
2. Gateway ESP32
Stays connected to the laptop. Listens for rover packets, maintains a strict heartbeat watchdog, and bridges the data as a USB NDJSON stream.
usb USB Serial Connection
3. Operator Dashboard
The web interface on your computer. Parses the NDJSON stream to provide a live UI, estimated pose mapping, and sends remote drive commands back down the chain.