Summary of Lego Technic Car with Arduino + XBee Wireless Control
This article details an Arduino-controlled LEGO RC car project built by a father and son during winter break 2012. The build utilizes LEGO Technic parts, an Arduino UNO R3, SparkFun motor drivers, and XBee wireless modules for remote control. The author highlights challenges in power connections and steering assembly while emphasizing the educational value of introducing children to electronics regardless of age guidelines.
Parts used in theArduino-Controlled Lego RC Car:
- LEGO Technic Dune Duster #8207
- LEGO Technic Power Pack #8720
- Arduino UNO R3
- Sparkfun Ardumoto Motor Driver Shield
- Sub-micro Servo ROB-09065 (Sparkfun)
- 2x XBee 1mW Trace Antenna - Series 1 (802.15.4)
- Xbee Shield
- XBee Explorer USB
- Various terminals and cabling
- Miscellaneous LEGO bits
- 2x RadioShack 3 AAA battery holders
This is my first ‘ible. It’s an Arduino-controlled Lego RC car using XBee units for the “RC” part. The idea was shamelessly stolen from sath02’s excellent ‘ible, attributed above. We began and finished the project over winter break 2012, and I’ve been sitting on these pictures for about a year, and have finally found some time to get them posted.
I won’t be providing a step-by-step instructional, but I will be highlighting what were some of our key challenges, and what our solutions were for them.
Here are the parts we used, in no particular order:
- LEGO Technic Dune Duster #8207
- LEGO Technic Power Pack #8720
- Arduino UNO R3
- Sparkfun Ardumoto Motor Driver Shield
- Sub-micro Servo ROB-09065 (Sparkfun)
- 2x XBee 1mW Trace Antenna – Series 1 (802.15.4)
- XBee Shield
- XBee Explorer USB
- Various terminals and cabling
- Miscellaneous LEGO bits (90% of the parts came from the kits, we just needed 2 or 3 pieces to fill in)
- 2x RadioShack 3 AAA battery holders
Most of the code was written by myself, and while I tried to pique my son’s interest in it, a lot of it was over his head, though I think he got the basics. He’s already been through the SparkFun Inventor’s Kit with me, so he knew the basics of circuits and motors and the like, the code work was just too tedious for him.
The one thing I took away from this, besides spending some quality time with my son and building something really cool, was not to underestimate what children can grasp at any age. Don’t let the “recommended age” guidelines put you off of introducing your kids to a learning experience like this. You’re planting seeds for a lifetime of discovery and innovation.
And with that, on to the good stuff.
Step 1: Powering the drive wheels
Step 2: Turning left and right
- What inspired this Arduino project?
The project was inspired by an Instructable titled RC-Lego-Car by sath02. - How were the drive wheels powered?
A hack using a soldering iron and a small LEGO brick created an adapter to connect the 9v LEGO Technic motor to the Ardumoto. - How is the steering system connected?
The micro-servo connects to the Technic steering system using a zip-tie and adapters with screws that mate to Technic driveline pieces. - Does the LEGO motor provide enough speed?
Yes, the 9v LEGO Technic motor has enough torque to squeal tires and is fast enough for a LEGO RC car. - Can children learn from this project?
Yes, the author advises not to underestimate what children can grasp and suggests introducing them to learning experiences regardless of recommended age. - What components are used for wireless control?
The project uses two XBee 1mW Trace Antennas Series 1 units along with an XBee Shield and XBee Explorer USB. - How long did the project take to complete?
The project began and finished over winter break 2012. - What makes the motor drive assembly fragile?
The assembly is fragile because it is put together without glue and can loosen up after whacks into baseboards or cabinets.
