RC Car making process - Direction control part
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5G RC Racing (R&D)
2020 Samsung Harajuku project_ Physical computing part
RC cars were controlled using the MCU(ESP32) board and were operated in real time through wifi connection.
Role : Creative Technologist
Type : Client Project (Cheil worldwide, Samsung)
Date : 2020 Jan 5th to 2020 May 5th
Skills : Touch Designer, Physical Computing, Serial Communication, Wifi Communication
Overview
Samsung Electronics wanted to demonstrate that its smartphones could reliably transmit real-time data using 5G technology. To achieve this, they planned an RC car project that combined smartphone cameras with VR devices, allowing users to navigate roads. They implemented this by setting up an environment where an ESP32 board communicated via 5G, enabling control of the RC car with a Logitech controller. Additionally, NFC tags were attached to the bottom of the RC car to track it on different tracks.
Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the project could no longer proceed in the R&D phase.
Servo motors are one of the most crucial components for steering the RC car. I conducted tests by purchasing various types of servo motors and using Touch Designer to control them in real-time with the Logitech controller.
RC Car making process - RC Car part (Motor)
I created a program using Touch Designer to control both the speed of the DC motor and steer the RC car using a servo motor simultaneously.
RC Car making process - Real time communications
After creating the first prototype RC car, I conducted a demonstration by directly driving it while viewing the data captured by a Samsung Galaxy smartphone camera.
For this demonstration, I utilized a Logitech controller and programmed it using Touch Designer. Within this program, I controlled the RC car in real-time via Wi-Fi.
Hardware Configuration
Initially, I built an RC car using an Arduino RC car kit, and later I set up a wireless communication system with a Horizon RC car. Then, to use a smaller RC car, I purchased a Traxxas product, attached an ESP32 board, and mapped keys to a Logitech gamepad to operate the RC car.
Final Version
Map Configuration
Test racing
RFID RC Racing Road making
I purchased an RFID reader and connected it with an RP-SMA cable, then attached a UHF RFID antenna to set up the track. I also installed RFID tags on the bottom of the RC car. Simultaneously,
I developed a program using Touch Designer to track when the RC car entered which section of the track, recording the time in minutes and seconds.
I designed a PCB board, connected wires, and tested various motor drivers to find the most suitable one for controlling the DC motor. Afterward, I completed the PCB board. I then attached RFID tags to the bottom of the RC car to differentiate which track each RC car passed through, and developed a program using Touch Designer to achieve this.
Additionally, I used a servo motor capable of moving more than 180 degrees to control the direction without any difficulty, replacing the servo motor previously used. For the keypad, I utilized both a Logitech gamepad and a Logitech car steering wheel.