If you have ever wondered what could be done with a simple RC toy, YouTuber ‘Basement Creations’ has transformed the toy into a fully functional autonomous rover, complete with GPS navigation and telemetry.
The base of the project is a toy modeled after the real-life Ripsaw vehicle, known for its unique double differential steering system. Powered by an Arduino board and motor driver, this project uses ArduPilot, an open-source autopilot system to drive the RC rover. This system allows the rover to autonomously drive without any struggle. The rover was able to move around manually and also follow GPS-based waypoints in autonomous modes like Guided and Return-to-Launch. In Smart RTL mode, it even retraced its original path instead of trying to go back in a straight line.
For the DIY RC Rover he 3D printed a custom mounting plate using Fusion 360, making everything fit neatly into the tank’s chassis. He installed a Kakute H7 flight controller, powerful enough to run advanced scripts, along with GPS, a compass, and telemetry radios from Holybro.
Maker showcases how simple components and open-source tools can be used for hands-on learning and experimentation. Jacob mentioned he’s planning to try something similar that will operate on water next. For anyone interested in robotics or programming, do check out this project available in his you tube channel where he gives more details and step-by-step insights into how he build autonomous RC rover from a RC toy.
