Design and Development of an ESP32-Based Smart Mobile Manipulator for Remote Object Handling

Mobile robotic platforms become more useful when mobility is combined with the ability to interact with physical objects. This paper presents the design and development of a compact ESP32-based smart mobile manipulator that integrates a wheeled robotic vehicle with a servo-driven robotic arm for remote object handling. The ESP32 functions as the central controller, receiving wireless user commands and coordinating the DC-motor drive system, servo actuators, and sensing functions. An ultrasonic sensor is incorporated to provide distance information for obstacle-aware operation. The vehicle supports forward, backward, left, right, and stop commands, while the robotic arm and gripper provide basic pick-and-place capability for lightweight objects. The proposed architecture provides a low-cost and modular platform for demonstrating embedded systems, wireless communication, motor control, sensing, and mobile manipulation. The project presentation establishes the system architecture and functional workflow but does not report a numerical experimental dataset; therefore, this manuscript intentionally avoids inventing performance values and focuses on the documented design, control logic, functional capabilities, and future extensions.