DIY Arduino Bluetooth Car Controlled by Mobile Application

The DIY Arduino Bluetooth Car is an undergraduate-level mobile robotics project that integrates wireless communication, microcontroller logic, and high-power motor control. At the heart of the system is the Arduino Uno, which coordinates commands received from a smartphone application. The user interacts with a custom mobile interface built in MIT App Inventor, which transmits directional commands wirelessly via serial communication using an HC05 Bluetooth module. The Arduino interprets these incoming serial characters through the SoftwareSerial library and translates them into appropriate control signals. Because the microcontroller digital pins cannot supply enough current to drive DC actuators directly, the system incorporates an L298N motor driver. The L298N acts as an intermediary power amplifier, using an external Lithium-ion 18650 battery pack to drive the four BO motors with wheels independently for forward, reverse, and turning maneuvers. Additionally, the system features NeoPixel LEDs controlled via the Adafruit NeoPixel Library, allowing for programmable status indication or lighting effects on the medium-thickness Sunboard chassis. Power distribution is managed cleanly through a toggle switch, DC female jack, relimate connectors, and perfboards, ensuring stable voltage regulation and modular wiring across the vehicle platform.