🔩 About the Hardware Copy

Your Robot Car contains more than just the mechanical components we reviewed. The real magic happens in the hardware. Let’s learn a bit about what each bit hard hardware looks like and what it does.

Raspberry Pi 3B/3B+/4B

This is the main computing component, acting like the “brain” of the system. It’s its own little computer!

Robot HATS

This is the communication device between the Raspberry Pi and the other parts of the car. It acts as a special adapter for the Pi allowing it to communicate with the other circuit boards. It also provides power to the Pi from the batteries.

PCA9685 PWM Driver

Controls the servos for the front wheels and other additional parts, such as the camera.

TB6612 Motor Driver

This sends power to the motors at the right times (when the computer tells it to)!

Note: If you ordered the Line-Follower Add-On Box, you will have the following extra parts:

5-Channel Line Follower

Collects visual data from the environment that gets sent to the Pi. The Pi then sends corresponding output giving the car the ability to follow lines like a monorail.

Ultrasonic Avoidance Module

This module works just like how bats use sonar (echolocation) to detect distances using environmental audio cues.

Light Follower Module

Using light as a stimulus, this module makes it possible for the car to start or stop on its own based on the presence (or absence) of light.