Autonomous Vehicle Projects by ICT Club

Achieving Real‑Time SLAM on an Akermann‑Steering RC Car Conversion with Jetson Nano & LiDAR Step‑by‑step tutorial for robotics hobbyists and developers Introduction Hardware Overview Software Stack Setting Up Jetson Nano LiDAR Integration Choosing a SLAM Algorithm Calibration & Tuning Real‑Time Visualization Troubleshooting Conclusion Introduction Real‑time Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) transforms a simple RC car into an autonomous explorer. This guide walks you through converting an Akermann‑steering RC car into a fully‑featured robot that runs SLAM on a NVIDIA Jetson Nano with a 360° LiDAR sensor. By the end of the tutorial you have a live map, pose estimation, and a responsive control loop running at 15 Hz+ on the edge. Hardware Overview Jetson Nano Quad‑core ARM CPU, 128 CUDA co...

The Self‑Driving Car Prototype: Programming an ESP32‑Cam on a 2WD Chassis with MicroPython & TinyYOLO Welcome to this step‑by‑step tutorial guide. You will learn how to turn a simple 2‑wheel‑drive (2WD) chassis into a miniature self‑driving car using an ESP32‑Cam , MicroPython , and the lightweight TinyYOLO object detection model. All code is ready to copy, and each hardware connection is illustrated with clear inline graphics. Why This Prototype? The combination of MicroPython and TinyYOLO brings AI inference to the edge with minimal power consumption. By the end of this guide you will have a working autonomous car that can: Capture live video from the ESP32‑Cam. Detect obstacles and lane markings using TinyYOLO. Control motor speed and steering via PWM. Log telemetry to a local SD card. Materials & Tools Component Quantity Notes ...

Building an Off‑Grid Solar Tracker Vehicle Using an Arduino Mega and Light Dependent Resistors (LDRs) A step‑by‑step, SEO‑optimized tutorial that walks you through every hardware, software, and mechanical detail needed to create a self‑sustaining solar‑powered tracking vehicle. Introduction Solar trackers increase energy capture by keeping photovoltaic panels perpendicular to the sun’s rays. When the tracker is mounted on a mobile platform, you get an off‑grid vehicle that can roam while constantly re‑optimising its power intake. This guide focuses on using an Arduino Mega 2560 paired with a simple LDR (Light Dependent Resistor) array to drive two DC geared motors that adjust a frame in both azimuth and elevation. By the end of this tutorial you will have a fully functional prototype, a ready‑to‑use Arduino sketch, and a checklist to troubleshoot the most common issues. What You’ll Need ...

Low‑Cost Agricultural Surveying: Designing an Outdoor Rover with APM Rover Firmware & a 3D‑Printed Chassis A step‑by‑step, SEO‑friendly tutorial that shows you how to build a reliable field rover for crop mapping, soil analysis, and precision farming without breaking the bank. Why a DIY Rover? Farmers, researchers, and agritech startups need accurate, repeatable data across large fields. Commercial platforms often cost thousands of dollars, include proprietary software, and limit customization. By using ArduPilot’s APM Rover firmware and a lightweight 3D‑printed chassis , you retain full control, can adapt the hardware to specific sensors, and keep the total build cost under $150 . “A low‑cost rover isn’t a compromise—it’s a launchpad for innovation in sustainable agriculture.” – Field Robotics Engineer Project Overview Goal: Capture georeferenced RGB, multispectral, or soil‑moisture data across a 10‑ha field. ...

Going Component‑Free: Implementing Pure Vanilla JavaScript WebSockets for Remote ESP32‑CAM AV Control Control an ESP32‑CAM from a browser without pulling in React, Vue, or any third‑party library. By using the native WebSocket API and straightforward HTML5, you can stream video, trigger snapshots, and command pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) in real‑time—all while keeping the page lightweight and SEO‑friendly. Why Go Vanilla? Performance: No bundle size overhead; the browser handles everything. SEO & Accessibility: Content is directly crawlable; no client‑side rendering delays. Maintainability: One HTML file, one script – easy to debug and extend. Portability: Works on any modern browser, from desktops to mobile. The tutorial focuses on the core logic. You can later wrap the code in a framework if you wish, but the foundation stays the same. Prerequisites Hardware ESP32‑CAM module (AI‑Thinker board recommended) Power supply (5 V / 2 A) Wi‑Fi network (same subnet ...

Autonomous Line Follower Robot Using Arduino A step‑by‑step tutorial to build, program, and fine‑tune a DIY line follower robot with Arduino. Introduction Line follower robots are classic projects for beginners and intermediate hobbyists. They teach you how to read sensor data, control motors, and implement simple feedback loops. In this guide you will build an autonomous line follower robot using Arduino , from hardware selection to fully functional code. By the end of the tutorial you will have a compact robot that can: Detect a black tape line on a white surface. Adjust its speed and direction in real‑time. Recover from bends and intersections automatically. Required Parts & Materials Arduino Uno (or Nano) Microcontroller board for reading sensors and driving motors. L298N Motor Driver ...

Simulating and Building a Mecanum‑Wheel Omnidirectional Robot using FreeRTOS and ESP32 A step‑by‑step tutorial for hobbyists and engineers who want to create a smooth‑moving, four‑wheel omnidirectional robot with real‑time multitasking. Introduction In recent years, omnidirectional robots have become popular for warehouse automation, research labs, and DIY projects. The Mecanum wheel provides true holonomic motion, allowing the robot to move in any direction without turning. Combining this hardware with the ESP32 microcontroller and FreeRTOS gives you a powerful, low‑cost platform capable of handling sensor fusion, motor control, and communication simultaneously. This guide covers everything from simulation (so you can test kinematics before soldering) to hardware assembly , FreeRTOS task design , and a complete software stack . All code snippets are ready to copy into the Arduino IDE or ESP‑IDF. Required Components ...

The Minimalist Maze Solver: Optimizing the Flood‑Fill Algorithm on an STM32 Blue Pill Micro‑Mouse Chassis Introduction Building a fast, reliable maze‑solver for a Micro‑Mouse competition is a classic embedded challenge. This guide walks you through a minimalist implementation of the flood‑fill algorithm on the popular STM32 Blue Pill board mounted on a lightweight micro‑mouse chassis. You’ll learn how to squeeze every last millisecond out of the processor, reduce RAM usage, and keep your code clean enough to fit on a single .c file. Keywords: Minimalist Maze Solver, Flood‑Fill Optimization, STM32 Blue Pill, Micro‑Mouse Chassis, Embedded Pathfinding. 1. Understanding the Maze Challenge In a typical 16×16 IEEE Micro‑Mouse grid, each cell has four walls (North, East, South, West). The robot must explore unknown territory, map walls, and compute the shortest path back to the start. The flood‑fill algorithm assigns a distance value to every ce...

Building an Indoor Delivery Rover: ROS 2 Humble on a 4WD Acrylic Smart Chassis with Raspberry Pi 5 This step‑by‑step tutorial shows you how to turn a 4‑wheel‑drive acrylic smart chassis into a fully‑functional indoor delivery robot powered by ROS 2 Humble Hawksbill and a Raspberry Pi 5 . We cover hardware assembly, wiring, software installation, ROS 2 node development, and real‑world testing—all written in present tense for easy follow‑along. Table of Contents 1️⃣ Parts & Tools 2️⃣ Chassis Assembly & Wiring 3️⃣ Raspberry Pi 5 & ROS 2 Installation 4️⃣ Writing ROS 2 Nodes for Mobility 5️⃣ Testing & Calibration 6️⃣ Troubleshooting & FAQs 7️⃣ Conclusion 1️⃣ Parts & Tools Item Quantity Notes ...