Humble beginnings
After my first year of studies, I wanted to do something more practical than the projects at university, which were mainly focused on theory and mathematics. I remembered an old RC car I used to play with as a child. It already had a broken wheel, so it was perfect for taking apart and modifying.
I had done a few simple Arduino projects before, but they were less complex. In retrospect, it’s funny to think that changing a potentiometer value in the code seemed like a serious engineering challenge back then.
The project was realized by me and my high-school friend during the summer break.
During the work, we often had to solve simple problems, like swapped motor wires or loose connections, but each situation taught us something new.
We started by taking the car apart and replacing the control system with ready-made modules.
The project involved not only adding our own speed control for the motors but also building a simple robotic arm and remote control. It was my first encounter with designing parts for 3D printing, which later led me to buy my own 3D printer.
To secure the electronics, we 3D printed a cage to hold the components inside the car.
We also tested various sensors and modules, such as ultrasonic sensors and wireless communication. Not all ideas worked out, but trying different solutions was a valuable experience.
Final result
The project wasn’t very complicated, but it allowed me to gain practical skills and encouraged me to further develop my technical knowledge.
Looking back, I see that even with limited resources and knowledge, it’s possible to build something functional and learn a lot in the process. The skills I acquired during this project - problem-solving, prototyping, and perseverance - have been useful in many subsequent tasks.
