Smart RC-Car
Notice
I started working on this project in the spring of 2015. The original plan was to carry out this project during the summer of 2015. However I got admitted to the Master’s program in Electrical Engineering at ETH Zürich. To be able to start the MSc. in September 2015, the required paperworks, housing and moving to Zürich kept me busy for the whole summer. Despite the fact that I was really motivated, unfortunately I had to suspend this project :(
Thank you for your understanding.
Overview
Everybody has dreams. One of my childhood dreams was to write an ECU for a real car. Since I was born, I am fond of cars and driving. My next project focuses on controlling electrical motors, combining with essential safety technologies and focusing on innovative features. Currently I’m working on Milestone 1 (see below) and designing the motor control circuit.
About the RC car
I received this tuned RC car from one of my acquaintances who is actually racing with RC cars (however he uses internal combustion engines). This car is built specifically for racing.
Main features:
- 1800 Watt Brushless DC motor
- 2700KV (rpm/V)
- Max voltage: 22V
- Max current: 80A
- 4.23:1 fixed gear ratio
- 4-wheel drive
- Front and back differentials
- Adjustable independent suspension
- Adjustable aluminum springs
- Steering servo
Milestones
I split the whole project into two parts. In the 1st milestone I’m focusing on the motor control, and in the 2nd milestone I’m implementing smart features such as object detection, object following and avoiding methods.
Milestone 1
- Self-designed PCB from the ground, specifically designed to fit into the RC car
- ARM microcontroller for maximum capacity
- Motor control and control engineering
- Regenerative braking
- ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
- ASR (Anti-Slip Regulation)
- ESP (Electronic Stability Program)
- Remote control via smartphone
Milestone 2
- Mount cameras & sensors to the RC car
- Image processing with Raspberry Pi 2
- Object detection
- Automatic object avoidance
- Object following from safe distance (e.g. another car)
Pictures
