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“Duck radar” is a small Arduino project that sweeps an ultrasonic sensor across an arc and plots nearby obstacles on a radar-style display. It can make a room’s surfaces visible as a rough live obstacle plot, but it is not a true radar system or a dependable floor-plan measuring tool: it uses sound echoes, and the original project does not include a formal build guide.
What the “Duck radar” project does
The project, created by Reddit user Fpr and covered by Hackster.io, combines an Arduino development board, a servo motor, an ultrasonic sensor, a 0.96-inch display, a breadboard and connecting wires. The sensor is mounted on the servo so it can point in different directions. As the servo sweeps back and forth, the Arduino associates each distance reading with the sensor’s angle and draws a radar-like visualization.
Conceptually, the data path is simple:
Servo angle ─────────┐
├──> Arduino ───> radar-style display
Ultrasonic echo ─────┘
The screen is the project’s clever part: it turns a stream of angles and approximate distances into something a person can interpret at a glance. The display is a visualization, however—not a measured architectural drawing.
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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Radar in appearance, sonar in operation
The name and sweeping graphics borrow from radar, but this project does not transmit radio waves. It emits ultrasonic sound and listens for an echo, so ultrasonic sonar scanner is the more accurate description.
#1 Best Overall
- By utilizing the 180-degree scanning range of the servo motor, combined with the distance measurement capability of the ultrasonic sensor, for Arduino can detect targets and represent them on the screen with different colored dots.
- The TFT screen provides intuitive visual feedback, allowing users to understand the distance information of the targets.
- Distance Measurement: By using the ultrasonic sensor to measure the distance between objects and the sensor, it enables distance measurement and obstacle detection.
- Direction Sensing: By controlling the direction of the sensor through the servo motor, it allows obtaining the approximate directional position of objects in space.
- Real-time Monitoring: By continuously rotating the sensor and acquiring distance data, it enables real-time monitoring of the position and distance changes of objects.
| Technology | What it uses | Used by this project? |
|---|---|---|
| Radar | Radio waves | No |
| Sonar | Sound waves | Yes—ultrasonic ranging |
| LiDAR | Laser light | No |
| Computer vision | Camera images and processing | No |
How one sweep becomes a picture
- Point: The servo moves the sensor to an angle.
- Ping: The ultrasonic sensor emits a brief sound pulse and listens for its return.
- Estimate: The Arduino uses echo timing to estimate distance.
- Pair: Software links that distance to the servo’s current angle.
- Plot: The display places the reading on a radar-like screen.
- Repeat: The servo reverses direction and continues scanning.
The resulting plot is a series of readings gathered from a moving sensor. It can suggest where nearby reflecting surfaces are, but the project’s article gives no measured accuracy, range, refresh rate or angular resolution. Those values should not be assumed.
What it can—and cannot—tell you about a room
Useful for: an electronics demonstration, learning servo control and sensor input, visualizing large nearby obstacles, or experimenting with simple distance plots.
Rank #2
- Manufacture Part Number: JC3T-14C689-AC, JC3T-14C689-AA, JC3Z-14C689-A, JC3Z-14C689-C, JC3Z-14C689-B, JC3Z 14C689B, JC3Z14C689B, JC3Z14C689C, JC3T14C689AC
- Installation and Calibration Guide: 1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and securely fasten the ACC unit using clips; 2. Use a mobile app or spirit level to adjust the ACC sensor vertically, aligning it with the top-left screw position; 3. Measure and adjust the distance between the ACC unit's two sides and the vehicle body using calipers or a similar tool to ensure symmetry; 4. Perform the calibration process using the ODIS service software. For accuracy, repeat the calibration once.
- Compatible with Ford F-150 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
- Compatible with Ford F-250 Super Duty 2020, 2021, 2022
- Compatible with Ford F-350 Super Duty 2020, 2021, 2022
Not suitable for: producing a reliable floor plan, checking construction dimensions, locating hidden objects, creating a 3D scan, or ensuring every surface has been detected. The sensor only reports echoes in the direction it faces; furniture blocks what lies behind it. A typical servo sweep covers a forward arc, not automatically the whole room or 360 degrees.
Ultrasonic echoes also depend on what they hit. Large, hard surfaces may reflect sound well, while soft, narrow, irregular or angled surfaces can return weak or misleading readings. A plot can therefore omit an object or place a surface imprecisely. The sensor’s beam width, servo positioning, mechanical play, timing and the display’s pixel scale all affect the apparent result.
Rank #3
- LD2410C is a highly sensitive 24GHz human presence detection module. It operates using FMCW (Frequency-Modulated Continuous Wave) technology to detect human targets within the configured space
- By integrating radar signal processing with advanced human detection algorithms, the module enables highly sensitive presence monitoring while also calculating target distance and other auxiliary parameters
- Unlike conventional solutions, this LD2410C sensor can detect not only moving human bodies but also static, micro-motion, and seated/lying postures, ensuring superior detection capabilities
- With real-time detection and a fast response time, the LD2410C module offers a maximum sensing range of 5 meters and a distance resolution of 0.75 meters, ensuring reliable performance
- Featuring both GPIO and UART interfaces for plug-and-play operation, the module supports flexible deployment across various smart scenarios and end devices
Could you reproduce it?
The basic concept is reproducible with familiar maker components, but the Hackster article is not a step-by-step construction plan. It identifies an Arduino board, servo, ultrasonic sensor, 0.96-inch display and breadboard, but does not verify the exact board or sensor model, display controller, pinout, power arrangement, full schematic or tested code listing. The article reports that the creator posted source code in a comment; that is not the same as a complete, maintained project package.
A conceptual build would involve securing the sensor to the servo, connecting the components according to their own documentation, and writing or adapting firmware to move the servo, trigger measurements, handle echo timing, pair readings with angles and draw the output. Exact wiring, libraries and code depend on the chosen parts. Similar Arduino scanner projects show common approaches, but their specifications should not be mistaken for Duck radar’s verified parts or instructions; examples include a Hackster scanner and an OLED-based Arduino scanner.
Rank #4
- LD2450 Ra·dar Module: A Trajectory Module, which can achieve real-time tracking of the position of the moving target in the detection area, and output the distance, angle and speed information of the moving target in the area through the serial port.
- Using Scenes: It is mainly used in common indoor scenes, such as home, office and hotel, to realize the positioning and tracking of moving people.
- Detection Angle : Azimuth ± 60° / Tilt ± 35°. Angle Accuracy : 2° ~ 20°.
- Detection Distance : Max Sensing Distance 8m. Distance Defense Rate : 0.75m. Distance Measurement Accuracy : 0.15m.
- Data Format : Serial ASCIl output. Modulation Mode: FMCW. Sweep Bandwidth: 250MHz (CE/FCC compliant). Frequency: 24G-24.25GHz.
If you are selecting parts for a new build rather than matching the original, Arduino’s Servo library documentation and a display with clear vendor documentation can help. For example, Adafruit’s 0.96-inch OLED breakout is a possible display substitute—not a verified match for the unspecified display in the project. Treat any chosen board or module as an implementation choice, not as confirmed original hardware.
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Common issues to expect
- Servo jitter or board resets: A servo can draw more current than a board or USB supply handles comfortably. A suitable separate servo supply, with its ground connected to Arduino ground, may help. Reduce sweep speed, secure the mount and allow the servo to settle before measuring.
- Unstable distance readings: Movement during a measurement, multiple reflections, poor target angles or soft surfaces can cause inconsistent echoes. Testing against a large, flat wall, rejecting timeouts and averaging repeated readings can make results easier to interpret.
- Blank display: Check power, ground, interface type, controller, library and initialization. The original article does not specify the display controller or I²C address, so neither should be assumed.
- Mirrored or rotated plot: The servo’s physical centerline and the software’s angle convention may not match. Mark the sensor’s forward direction and calibrate the plotted center and sweep direction.
- Missed objects or incomplete coverage: The sensor sees only reflecting surfaces within its beam and the directions the mechanism scans. A wider sweep or rotating platform changes coverage, but does not by itself create a precise room map.
When a different tool makes more sense
For a maker demonstration, a rotating ultrasonic sensor is appealing because it makes sensing, motion and visualization tangible without a camera or cloud service. A laptop-connected version can offer a larger plot, logging and easier data processing, at the cost of requiring a computer and serial visualization software; Arduino and Processing is one example of that general approach.
Best Value
- LD2450 Ra·dar Module: A Trajectory Module, which can achieve real-time tracking of the position of the moving target in the detection area, and output the distance, angle and speed information of the moving target in the area through the serial port.
- Using Scenes: It is mainly used in common indoor scenes, such as home, office and hotel, to realize the positioning and tracking of moving people.
- Detection Angle : Azimuth ± 60° / Tilt ± 35°. Angle Accuracy : 2° ~ 20°.
- Detection Distance : Max Sensing Distance 8m. Distance Defense Rate : 0.75m. Distance Measurement Accuracy : 0.15m.
- Data Format : Serial ASCIl output. Modulation Mode: FMCW. Sweep Bandwidth: 250MHz (CE/FCC compliant). Frequency: 24G-24.25GHz.
If the job is to measure a room for renovation, furniture fitting or a usable floor plan, choose a purpose-built measuring or room-scanning method instead. LiDAR or depth-camera systems are designed for spatial reconstruction; phone scanning apps offer a separate, software-based route. Planner 5D, for example, describes a phone-camera Home Scanner workflow for editable 3D plans. These are different categories of tool, not equivalent versions of the Arduino project.
Quick Recap
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