DIY - Remote control car running on Arduino: concept

Radio control cars are small vehicles powered by electric or gas motors that can be remotely controlled by a transmitter. The transmitter sends signals to a receiver on the car, allowing the operator to control the car's speed, direction, and steering. Radio control cars are available in a variety of sizes, from miniature models that can fit in the palm of your hand to large off-road vehicles that can climb over rough terrain.

They are often sold with predefined chips and built-in software. Due to limited circuitry and insufficient documentation, enhancing or modifying existing RC cars can become a challenging task. The primary objective of our project is to overcome these obstacles and create a completely customizable RC car that can be fully controlled. In addition, it will be a perfect pair for our AirControl joystick. The name given to the project is Merin.

Merin project

DIY - Remote control car running on Arduino: concept

DIY - Remote control car running on Arduino: mounting

DIY - Remote control car running on Arduino: code

DIY - Remote control car running on Arduino

Prerequisites

We strongly recommend reading AirControl documentation: DIY - Universal RC Joystick

Frame and components

In the context of the project, the decision was made not to create a new RC car from raw materials, but rather to purchase an already existing model. Modifying an existing model would allow us to skip many of the time-consuming steps and focus primarily on the modifications. This will allow us to save time and resources while still achieving the desired outcome. Additionally, acquiring a pre-assembled RC car provides more sophisticated design than the team would have been able to create independently.

Once we had reviewed all the available options, we selected a 1:18 scale car with black windows and a spacious interior (hopefully). We are optimistic that this choice will meet our needs.

The car already includes valuable features that can be reused such as front headlights, brake lights and functional suspension. The project involves using AirControl joystick as primary control mechanism. The original joystick will not work once the modifications are complete. The custom joystick will offer unique features that the original one lacks.

Conclusion

To make the car to function with the AirControl joystick and appropriately attach new components, modifications will be needed, which may involve adjustments to the circuitry. Prior to making any modifications, it is essential to comprehend how everything operates in the original state so it can be correctly customized and upgraded.

In the following posts, we will provide information regarding the mounting procedure and the programming required to connect the car with the AirControl joystick.