Computer Vision Guided RC Car

The Computer Vision Guided RC Car operates through a closed-loop system combining computer processing, wireless optical communication, and embedded microcontroller hardware. At the core of the perception tier, an overhead camera captures the position of the toy car chassis and its target within the environment. A Linux laptop running Python and OpenCV processes these video frames in real-time, calculating the relative vector and heading adjustments required for the car to navigate toward the destination. Once the software determines the correct steering or driving commands, it translates these decisions into control signals transmitted via an IR transmitter LED. On the mobile robot itself, an IR receiver (such as the VS1838B) captures the modulated infrared pulses sent by the laptop setup. This receiver routes the data signals into an onboard microcontroller, specifically an Arduino Nano or Arduino Uno. The microcontroller interprets the command codes and drives the dual DC geared motors using discrete analog switching circuitry. Because microcontroller pins cannot supply the necessary current directly to motors, BC547 transistors act as low-side electronic switches, biased by 500-ohm resistors to safely control the higher-power motor circuits powered by the 1.5V AA batteries. By rapidly switching these transistors, the Arduino can manage drive direction and power distribution across the two DC geared motors, allowing the chassis to steer dynamically in response to the overhead computer vision system.