Probably one of the coolest Arduino projects out there is a remote-controlled car, but they’re also one of the most daunting projects for beginners to undertake. However, you’ll be glad to know that there are RC car versions that don’t require being a coding expert.
This Bluetooth-controlled car may seem too ambitious for a beginner project at first glance, but it’s actually an easy build. It’s run by an Arduino UNO board, and includes several key components: four gear motors with wheels for moving the car, four LEDs for signaling the active status of each motor, a motor driver for operating all the motors, a Bluetooth module for remote control, and a battery for powering the car.
Upon powering up, the car automatically becomes visible to external Bluetooth devices like your phone. You can then connect it to your device using the project developer’s Android app, and start controlling the car with the joystick. Press one direction, and the motors for that particular direction will be activated. The LEDs connected to those motors will also light up to show which ones are in action.
Unlike the other projects in this list, the code for this setup is a little over 100 lines, but it’s an excellent introduction to working with custom functions that can be called within other functions, like the loop function. You generally wouldn’t need to modify anything in the code, except perhaps to change the pin configuration of the motors if they happen to run opposite to your command.
