How to make a robot car at home?

Robot cars are quite popular and cool among kids. Instead of buying expensive robot cars from the market, you can make one at home easily. It also allows you to be creative and to learn something new. Follow the steps mentioned below and you’re done!

1. Build the Chassis

• The materials you’ll need to make this project successful are two wheels, two motors, motor driver cover or circuit, Arduino microcontroller, batteries of 6 volts, battery holder, and an acrylic sheet.
• Affix the motors and the wheels with the chassis. Hot glue will do the work.
• Place the holder of battery on the top corner of chassis in the middle of the wheels.
• Join the motor driver with the chassis and leave the wire hanging.
• Stick the Arduino on the chassis. Make sure the socket remains accessible for plugging it to the computer.

2. Wiring

• Cut the insulated wire into four lengths.
• Connect both wires to 1 motor.
• Affix rest of the ends with the m2 and m1 pins of motor driver.
• Repeat the same with the second motor. Connect the wires to the m4 and m3 pins.
• Connect the other battery holder having 2 attached wires (the positive wire and the negative wire).
• Now, affix both the wires of the motor driver with the Arduino.

3. Set Up the Rx Circuit Control

• Know about the process and work methodically and slowly. Here, Arduino facilitates the motor’s movement.
• Cut the wire into four pieces of equal length to join the motor driver circuit and the Arduino.
• Affix each wire to a single pin of the circuit. Make sure not to touch the other pin.
• Now join the wires with the Arduino. Don’t get confused an attach it accordingly.
• Examine the wiring to prevent connections that would cause a short.

4. Programming of the robot car

• Connect the Arduino circuit to your computer and open the software. This software enables us to program the car’s movement. You can get the software free from online.
• Enter the required code to monitor its movements. The code will decide the timing for which the car should move backwards or forward or where to take a turn.
• Place the car over a plain surface. Install batteries into it and turn on the switch. If the battery holder doesn’t come along with a connected switch, add one on your own.
• Whenever you wish to alter the behaviour of the robot car, modify and upload a new program. Change the numbers or switch a HIGH to a LOW and vice versa and observe what happens.
• One thing that should be kept in mind is that, don’t set both the pins of one motor at HIGH at once.

Bottom Line:

Now that you are aware of the process of making a robot car at home, the next time you are thinking of gifting a car to a kid, make it yourself at home. Not only it's cost-effective but is also durable. You can use your creativity and give it a different look.