Make Your Own Arduino Powered 4-in-1 Robot Car | Step by Step Instructions

Hello and welcome back! In this project, we will learn how to make a 4-in-1 2WD Robot Car using the Arduino UNO platform. This robot can be controlled in four ways, IR remote control, line tracking, Bluetooth control, and WiFi control. I used the Webotricks 2WD Robot Car Starter Kit, so we don’t need any additional chassis or extra components. You can get this kit at an affordable price using this link. Also, you can easily build and program this robot with the provided instructions. Even if you have no experience with robotics, don’t worry! This blog will guide you step by step, making everything simple to understand. Also this is a great way to learn about Arduino, sensors, motor control, and wireless communication.

Supplies

Components and Supplies

2WD Car Chassis Kit - BUY NOW

L298N Motor Driver Module - BUY NOW

Infrared IR Remote Control Sensor Module - BUY NOW

Jumper-Wires - BUY NOW

USB Cable - Buy Now

Basic Board - Buy Now

18650 Battery Box - Buy Now

Battery charger for 18650 battery

HC Module - Buy Now

UART WI-FI Shield

Jumpers

Assembling

Start by assembling all the necessary components for your robot and ensure you have everything required for the build. unbox your robot package and check all the components inside the box.

Attach the Motor Metal Brackets

Second, remove the robot chassis sticker and attach the motor metal brackets to the motors. Then install them on the chassis.

Install the Caster Wheel

Thirdly, install the caster wheel onto the chassis.

Attach the Wheels

Now, attach the wheels to the gear motors.

Install the Arduino UNO Board

After that, install the Arduino UNO board and the motor driver board onto the robot chassis.

Connect the Motors

Next, connect the motors to the motor driver board. After that, install the battery holder onto the chassis.

Connect the WiFi Shield

Now, connect the WiFi Shield to the Arduino UNO board. Then, install the IR receiver module at the front of the robot.

Install and Connect the Tracking Sensor Modules

Afterward, install the tracking sensor modules onto the chassis.

Okay, now connect the battery holder to the shield. Then, connect the motor driver board, IR receiver, and line tracking modules to the WiFi shield.

Motor Pins

Black — D9Purple — D12Green — D11Yellow — D7White — D8Red — D6

IR Receiver

GND — GND5V — VCCD10 — S

Left Tracking Sensor

VCC — 5VGND — GNDDO — D2

Right Tracking Sensor

VCC — 5VGND — GNDDO — D3

Arrange the Wires

Afterward, arrange the wires neatly using tape. Then, charge the 18650 Li-ion batteries and place them into the battery holder.

Upload the Programs

Now, let’s upload the programs one by one to the robot car. Follow the instructions below for each step.

IR Control of the Robot Car

Connect your robot to the computer. Then, copy and paste the following code into the Arduino IDE. Also, make sure to include the IRremote library in the Arduino IDE before uploading the code.

#include "IRremote.hpp"

#define IR_RECEIVE_PIN 10 //IR receiver Signal pin connect to Arduino pin D10

#define speedPinR 9 // RIGHT PWM pin connect MODEL-X ENA

#define RightMotorDirPin1 12 //Right Motor direction pin 1 to MODEL-X IN1

#define RightMotorDirPin2 11 //Right Motor direction pin 2 to MODEL-X IN2

#define speedPinL 6 // Left PWM pin connect MODEL-X ENB

#define LeftMotorDirPin1 7 //Left Motor direction pin 1 to MODEL-X IN3

#define LeftMotorDirPin2 8 //Left Motor direction pin 1 to MODEL-X IN4

#define IR_ADVANCE 24 //code from IR controller "▲" button

#define IR_BACK 82 //code from IR controller "▼" button

#define IR_RIGHT 90 //code from IR controller ">" button

#define IR_LEFT 8 //code from IR controller "<" button

#define IR_STOP 28 //code from IR controller "OK" button

#define IR_turnsmallleft 13 //code from IR controller "#" button

enum DN

{

GO_ADVANCE, //go forward

GO_LEFT, //left turn

GO_RIGHT,//right turn

GO_BACK,//backward

STOP_STOP,

DEF

}Drive_Num=DEF;

bool stopFlag = true;//set stop flag

bool JogFlag = false;

uint16_t JogTimeCnt = 0;

uint32_t JogTime=0;

uint8_t motor_update_flag = 0;

/***************motor control***************/

void go_Advance(void) //Forward

{

digitalWrite(RightMotorDirPin1, HIGH);

digitalWrite(RightMotorDirPin2,LOW);

digitalWrite(LeftMotorDirPin1,HIGH);

digitalWrite(LeftMotorDirPin2,LOW);

analogWrite(speedPinL,150);

analogWrite(speedPinR,150);

}

void go_Left(int t=0) //Turn left

{

digitalWrite(RightMotorDirPin1, HIGH);

digitalWrite(RightMotorDirPin2,LOW);

digitalWrite(LeftMotorDirPin1,LOW);

digitalWrite(LeftMotorDirPin2,HIGH);

analogWrite(speedPinL,0);

analogWrite(speedPinR,150);

delay(t);

}

void go_Right(int t=0) //Turn right

{

digitalWrite(RightMotorDirPin1, LOW);

digitalWrite(RightMotorDirPin2,HIGH);

digitalWrite(LeftMotorDirPin1,HIGH);

digitalWrite(LeftMotorDirPin2,LOW);

analogWrite(speedPinL,150);

analogWrite(speedPinR,0);

delay(t);

}

void go_Back(int t=0) //Reverse

{

digitalWrite(RightMotorDirPin1, LOW);

digitalWrite(RightMotorDirPin2,HIGH);

digitalWrite(LeftMotorDirPin1,LOW);

digitalWrite(LeftMotorDirPin2,HIGH);

analogWrite(speedPinL,150);

analogWrite(speedPinR,100);

delay(t);

}

void stop_Stop() //Stop

{

digitalWrite(RightMotorDirPin1, LOW);

digitalWrite(RightMotorDirPin2,LOW);

digitalWrite(LeftMotorDirPin1,LOW);

digitalWrite(LeftMotorDirPin2,LOW);

}

/**************detect IR code***************/

void do_IR_Tick()

{

if(IrReceiver.decode())

{

uint16_t command = IrReceiver.decodedIRData.command;

if(command==IR_ADVANCE)

{

Drive_Num=GO_ADVANCE;

}

else if(command==IR_RIGHT)

{

Drive_Num=GO_RIGHT;

}

else if(command==IR_LEFT)

{

Drive_Num=GO_LEFT;

}

else if(command==IR_BACK)

{

Drive_Num=GO_BACK;

}

else if(command==IR_STOP)

{

Drive_Num=STOP_STOP;

}

command = 0;

IrReceiver.resume();

}

/**************car control**************/

void do_Drive_Tick()

{

switch (Drive_Num)

{

case GO_ADVANCE:go_Advance();JogFlag = true;JogTimeCnt = 1;JogTime=millis();break;//if GO_ADVANCE code is detected, then go advance

case GO_LEFT: go_Left();JogFlag = true;JogTimeCnt = 1;JogTime=millis();break;//if GO_LEFT code is detected, then turn left

case GO_RIGHT: go_Right();JogFlag = true;JogTimeCnt = 1;JogTime=millis();break;//if GO_RIGHT code is detected, then turn right

case GO_BACK: go_Back();JogFlag = true;JogTimeCnt = 1;JogTime=millis();break;//if GO_BACK code is detected, then backward

case STOP_STOP: stop_Stop();JogTime = 0;break;//stop

default:break;

}

Drive_Num=DEF;

//keep current moving mode for 200 millis seconds

if(millis()-JogTime>=200)

{

JogTime=millis();

if(JogFlag == true)

{

stopFlag = false;

if(JogTimeCnt <= 0)

{

JogFlag = false; stopFlag = true;

}

JogTimeCnt--;

}

if(stopFlag == true)

{

JogTimeCnt=0;

stop_Stop();

}

void setup()

{

pinMode(RightMotorDirPin1, OUTPUT);

pinMode(RightMotorDirPin2, OUTPUT);

pinMode(speedPinL, OUTPUT);

pinMode(LeftMotorDirPin1, OUTPUT);

pinMode(LeftMotorDirPin2, OUTPUT);

pinMode(speedPinR, OUTPUT);

stop_Stop();

IrReceiver.begin(IR_RECEIVE_PIN, DISABLE_LED_FEEDBACK);

}

void loop()

{

do_IR_Tick();

do_Drive_Tick();

}