Lesson Steps

Welcome to Self-Driving Cars!

5 min

Welcome to the world of autonomous vehicles! Did you know that the first fully autonomous vehicle is widely considered to be the "Stanford Cart?”

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The Stanford Cart was initially developed as part of the "Industrial Artificial Intelligence" lab's research project at Stanford University in the 1960s. It gained significant attention and recognition when it participated in the inaugural Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Grand Challenge in 2004.The Stanford Cart, renamed "Stanley" for the competition, successfully completed a 131-mile desert course and won the first-place prize of $2 million. This event marked a major milestone in the advancement of autonomous vehicle technology.

Want to watch this amazing moment in history?  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a6GrKqOxeU">DARPA Grand Challenge of 2005</a>

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Currently, self-driving cars are being tested on public roads in various locations around the world. These vehicles use a combination of sensors, such as cameras, RADAR, and LIDAR, along with advanced software and algorithms to navigate and make decisions on the road. While fully autonomous vehicles that can operate in any driving condition are still being developed, there are already cars on the market with advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) that offer features like adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and automatic emergency braking. These technologies are paving the way for future fully autonomous vehicles.

Want to see for yourself? There's an incredible <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8R148hFxPw">Waymo 360° Experience: A Fully Autonomous Driving Journey</a> that you can watch. This virtual experience takes you on a ride in a self-driving car, providing a unique perspective on how the technology works and what it feels like to be in an autonomous vehicle. It's an opportunity to witness firsthand the advancements in self-driving car technology and how it's shaping the future of transportation.

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The potential impact of self-driving cars is significant, including: 

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Improving road safety
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Reducing traffic congestion
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Increasing accessibility for people who are unable to drive
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Transforming transportation systems, leading to more efficient and sustainable mobility.
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However, there are still challenges to overcome, such as refining the technology, ensuring safety, addressing ethical considerations, and navigating regulatory frameworks. 

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What do you think? 

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How would you feel about riding in a self-driving car? What factors would make you trust or distrust the technology?
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How do you think self-driving cars will change the way we live and travel? What are the potential benefits and drawbacks?
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You will be able to answer these questions and more as you progress through this Classbox. We will delve into the fascinating world of self-driving cars and explore the technology, design, and societal impact of autonomous vehicles. Get ready to embark on a journey where you will build your own self-driving car, learn coding and algorithm design, explore AI object detection, and discover the ethical and sustainability considerations of this emerging field.

 

Our Robot Dog, F1D0 is very excited to be on this journey with you! 

<img height="206" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/aKbyjWabl27a0DF9YHbWM0d9bJsXDtk1WcvRRdT4MhZZt4-P-BF0VqE466wfgWylzo8TKxMB-l9aTHIgI2jHC1oZeRiDk8HmRzFFRqr8POq_1bzOuDq-aeba_HIWMnSn9cifyP7bVeCSSnsh71FjXg" width="206" />

About My Robot Car Kit

5 min

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Let’s open your Betabox Car kit! You’ll see that you’ll have everything you need to build an awesome Robot Car.

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We’ve teamed up with SunFounder to deliver this Robot Car experience.

Accompanying the SunFounder materials, your kit also includes a microSD card and card reader for uploading the Raspberry Pi OS, a Raspberry Pi single board computer, batteries, and battery charger.

 

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Upon your project completion, you’ll have manufactured a car with quite a few capabilities. You’ll be able to control it via a network connection right from your computer! We will build the car together and unleash our creativity by developing uses for self-driving car technologies.

About the Hardware

5 min

Your Robot Car contains more than just the mechanical components we reviewed. The real magic happens in the hardware. Hardware refers to the physical components that make up a robot, such as the sensors and other devices that allow the robot to sense and interact with its environment.

 

Let’s learn a bit about what each bit of hardware looks like and what it does.

 

Raspberry Pi 3B/3B+/4B

This is the main computing component, acting like the “brain” of the system. It is its own little computer!

 

<img alt="" src="/api/storage/uploads/legacy-images/ki33rgwlpxg8t840sw60wjwu4ig2/RaspberryPi.png" style="width: 768px; height: 646px;" />

 

Robot HAT

A Robot HAT is a circuit board that can be attached to a Raspberry Pi computer to add extra functionality for building a robot. 
 

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The Robot HAT has several components on it, including:

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An MCU (microcontroller unit) which is a small computer that can be programmed to perform tasks and control other devices. The MCU on the Robot HAT is used to extend the PWM output and ADC input capabilities of the Raspberry Pi. (PWM output allows the Raspberry Pi to control the speed and direction of motors, while ADC input allows it to measure analog signals, such as those produced by sensors.)
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A motor driver chip which is used to control the motors on the robot.
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Bluetooth module which allows the Raspberry Pi to communicate with other devices using Bluetooth.
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An I2S audio module which allows the Raspberry Pi to play audio.
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A mono speaker which is a single speaker that can be used to play sound.
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The Robot HAT also has connections (called GPIOs) that allow it to be connected to the Raspberry Pi and access the Raspberry Pi's input/output pins.

 

Ultrasonic Sensor

An ultrasonic sensor is a device that uses sound waves to measure distance or detect the presence of objects.

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Grayscale Module

This device can be used to detect and follow a line on a surface. It works by using three channels, or sensors, that measure the intensity of light reflecting off the surface.

 

<img alt="" src="/api/storage/uploads/legacy-images/eyd1fpjr5h6kspjfg9n93g5fwoo3/pic+2.4+3ch_grayscale_module.png" style="width: 400px; height: 261px;" />

Building a Self-Driving Car

Standards Alignment

209 Standards Aligned

Lesson Steps

Welcome to Self-Driving Cars!

About My Robot Car Kit

About the Hardware

Unlock 37 more steps

What's What?

Imaging the Raspberry Pi

Battery Holder Assembly

Self-Driving Car Pack

Ready to bring this lesson to your classroom?

Motor Assembly

Attaching the PCBs

Attaching the Servo Arm and Ultrasonic Module

Camera Module Assembly

Servo Mount Assembly

Turning on your Car

Servo Calibration

Add the Servo Assembly to the Camera Assembly

Finishing the Camera Mount Assembly

Add the Steering Servo and Steering Bar

Grayscale Module Assembly

Front and Rear Wheel Assembly

Wiring the Car

Connecting to the Robot Car via SSH

Understanding an IP Address

Navigating VS Code

Navigating the Terminal with Linux Commands

Calibrating the Robot Car’s Servo Angles

Recap Assessment

Driving the Car!

The Ultrasonic Sensor

Using Obstacle Avoidance

Improving Obstacle Avoidance

Pseudocode + Improved Code

Lane-Assist

Using the Line-Follower

Improving Line-Follower

Machine Learning

Object Detection

Playing Music

Sound Effects

Color Detection

Dancing Car

🎉 You Did It!