Abstract

Radio-controlled (RC) robots can explore places that are difficult or dangerous for humans to get to, like collapsed buildings after a natural disaster. They can use cameras and a variety of other sensors to gather information about their environment, like the presence of toxic gases or other hazardous materials. The robots can even use grippers and robotic arms to collect and safely dispose of some materials. You can build your own RC robot using the Science Buddies Bluebot kit, Electronics Kit for Arduino, and an RC transmitter/receiver (sold separately), as shown in the video above.

To do so, you will need to learn how to control the robot's motors using the Arduino and an H-bridge integrated circuit, as shown in this video:

And how to read the signals from the RC receiver with your Arduino, as shown in this video:

There are many other sensors and other types of motors you could add to your robot. Check out our Arduino tutorial page for some ideas. You could even add a live video feed to your robot by mounting a phone on it, then calling the phone from another device with a video chat service. Can you steer your robot remotely from another room using the on-board video, when you cannot see the robot directly? Can you add a robotic arm built with servo motors so your robot can pick things up? You could even set up a model search-and-rescue or hazmat (hazardous material) disposal scenario. What other uses can you think of for an RC robot?

If you want to explore autonomous robot behavior, check out our self-driving car project, which also uses the BlueBot platform.