diff --git a/obstacle_detector.py b/obstacle_detector.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..5b5fc58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/obstacle_detector.py
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python3
+"""
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+Monash Nova Rover Team
+
+A proximity sensor that takes in positional data and calculates 
+the average "forward" value of points within certain 3D bounds.
+Specifically, a forward range of 0.3 - 3.0 and a vertical
+and horizontal range of -0.15 - 0.15. 
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+NODE: obstacle_detector
+TOPICS:
+  - /D435/depth/color/points [sensor_msgs.msg.PointCloud2]
+  - /obstacle_proximity [Float32]
+SERVICES:
+  - 
+ACTIONS: None
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+PACKAGE: 	task
+AUTHOR(S):	kelly
+CREATION:	27/09/2021
+EDITED:		30/09/2021
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+TODO:
+ - 
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+"""
+
+import rclpy
+from rclpy.node import Node
+from std_msgs.msg import String
+
+from sensor_msgs.msg import PointCloud2
+from std_msgs.msg import Float32
+
+import struct
+from bitarray import bitarray
+
+#---- Subscribes to the topic /D435... and publishes the average Z value
+class SubscriberNode(Node):
+	def __init__(self):
+		super().__init__('obstacle_detector')
+		self.subscription = self.create_subscription(
+			PointCloud2,
+			'/D435/depth/color/points',
+			self.sub_callback,
+			10)
+		self.subscription # Avoid unused variable warning
+		self.publisher = self.create_publisher(
+			Float32,
+			'/obstacle_proximity',
+			10)
+
+	def sub_callback(self, msg):
+		"""
+		Parses positional data, calculates the average value and publishes
+		it to the topic /obstacle_proximity.
+		"""
+		data = msg.data
+		y_offset = 4
+		z_offset = 8
+		z_sum = 0.0
+		z_count = 0.0
+		factor = 5
+		# Interates through the dataset and takes the x,y,z values from every 100th subarray.
+		for i in range(0,len(data),factor*20):
+			# Deriving the elements corresponding to the x value and converting them into a flaoat.
+			x_byte = data[slice(i,i+4)]
+			x_float = floatify_bytes(x_byte)
+
+			y_byte = data[slice(i+y_offset,i+4+y_offset)]
+			y_float = floatify_bytes(y_byte)
+
+			z_byte = data[slice(i+z_offset,i+4+z_offset)]
+			z_float = floatify_bytes(z_byte)
+			# Summing the z values of the corresponding x/y/z values that satisfy the conditions.
+			if -0.15<x_float<0.15 and -0.15<y_float<0.15 and 0.3<z_float<3.0:
+				z_sum += z_float
+				z_count += 1
+		# Calculating the average and publishing.
+		z_avg = Float32()
+		z_avg.data = z_sum/z_count
+		self.publisher.publish(z_avg)
+		self.get_logger().info("Publishing... Average z value = %f" % z_avg.data)
+
+#---- Function that converts the data into floats
+def floatify_bytes(z_bytes):
+	"""
+	:param lst of four bytes as numbers between 0-255
+	:return: the little endian float representation
+	"""
+	bits = bin(z_bytes[0])[2:].ljust(8, "0") + bin(z_bytes[1])[2:].ljust(8, "0") + bin(z_bytes[2])[2:].ljust(8, "0") + bin(z_bytes[3])[2:].ljust(8, "0")
+	arr = bitarray(bits[::-1])
+	return struct.unpack(">f", arr)[0]
+
+#---- Set up parameters and nodes and start the ROS class
+def main(args = None):
+	rclpy.init(args = args)
+	subscriber = SubscriberNode()
+	rclpy.spin(subscriber)
+
+	subscriber.destroy_node()
+	rclpy.shutdown
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+	main()
+
+