Ian Spehar

Ian Spehar

Graduated with M.S. in Mechanical Engineering and Robotics from Oregon State University

Custom RC Car

This project involved designing and building a fully custom remote-controlled vehicle from the ground up, including the mechanical chassis, electrical system, and embedded control software. Powered by a Raspberry Pi, the vehicle supports wireless controller pairing, programmable autonomous maneuvers, and obstacle detection for collision prevention. The project combined mechatronics design with the integration of hardware and embedded software into a complete robotic system.

Custom RC Car

Highlights

  • Designed and assembled the complete electrical and mechanical system from scratch
  • Developed embedded Python software for motor control, steering, and controller input
  • Implemented automatic controller pairing and system initialization
  • Created programmable maneuver routines including parallel parking and precision turns
  • Integrated obstacle detection for collision prevention during operation

Technical Stack

Software: Python · Embedded Programming · Motor Control
Hardware: Raspberry Pi 4 · DC Motors · Motor Drivers · LEGO Technic Chassis
Methods: Mechatronics · Embedded Systems · Rapid Prototyping

Results & Validation

RC Car **1. Custom Robotic Platform** Designed and assembled the complete vehicle, integrating the chassis, drivetrain, electronics, and embedded controller into a functional robotic platform. RC Car Side View **2. Integrated Hardware Design** Rapid prototyping with LEGO Technic enabled iterative refinement of steering geometry, component placement, and drivetrain layout throughout development.
Embedded Control System **3. Embedded Control Architecture** The embedded software managed wireless controller communication, motor control, obstacle detection, and programmable maneuver execution through a unified control loop.

Impact

This project demonstrates complete mechatronic system development, from hardware construction and electrical integration to software implementation. By combining mechanical design, electronics, and control algorithms into a single platform, the project provided practical experience developing reliable robotic systems.

Code

Source code and documentation are available on GitHub:

https://github.com/ianspehar99/RC-Car