Little RC Car Project Takes Inspiration From Mario Kart
RC cars have come a long way from their basic forward-backward steering functions. Stuck at Prototype has taken them to the next level with his Micro Racer Cars, each powered by an ESP32 microcontroller and equipped with a motor controller to operate DC gear motors at each wheel. The tiny cars run on lithium-polymer batteries, which can be conveniently recharged via USB-C. The design is completed with 3D-printed chassis and body components, and the cars can be controlled using either a smartphone app or a custom-built RC controller.
The project was initially designed for more advanced gameplay, as each car is fitted with a color sensor that can detect patches on the ground. This feature allows the cars to mimic gameplay similar to Mario Kart, where hitting certain color zones could trigger actions like speeding up, slowing down, or spinning out. This adds a fun, interactive element to racing the cars. While the smartphone app was originally intended as the primary control method, the creator found it challenging to maintain, leading him to prefer the custom RC controller.
Although the Micro Racer Cars were initially part of a Kickstarter project that didn’t quite meet its goal, Stuck at Prototype decided to release the design files online. The plans are available on GitHub, allowing anyone to build and modify their own advanced tabletop RC racers.
Read more: Little RC Car Project Takes Inspiration From Mario Kart
