Make a Wi-Fi Controlled Simple Robot Using Arduino

This project guide to make Wi-Fi controlled robot with simple functionalities. Follow steps and make your own

robot as you wish. So you can extend your own project by learning this basics (e.g.: home automation system).

Require Components

● Arduino board

● Motor Driver(L298)

● Car Chassis

● Gear Motor, Car Tire

● ESP8266 (ESP-01)

● Jumper wires

● Battery

● Android device

● PC

Let's start building

First start with motor connection, then connect motor driver to Arduino. After that, configure Arduino and

ESP8266. It's pretty easy and go through following steps.

Step 1

♦ Connect two gear motors to Motor Driver and check it.

Figure 01

L298 Motor Driver module can handle two motors. OUT1, OUT2 control one motor and OUT3, OUT4 control

another motor(there is no order for this. turning direction is decide IN pins). So power supply is simple, as

Figure-01. +12v pin is commonly use with GND, for power up module. Also you can use +5v pin to give 5v to

module and take out 5v from module. When using 12v battery and Arduino together, you can use +12v pin to

connect with battery and +5v pin to give power to Arduino. That is the advantage of this +5v pin. There are four

IN pins for control turning direction. As a example, by giving +5v to IN1 pin and 0v(GND) to other three pins,

the motor rotate which is connected to OUT1 and OUT2. If you give +5v to both IN1 and IN2 it doesn't work,

because motor try to rotate both direction. Therefore carefully handle IN pins and identify what are the turning

directions handled by IN pins.

Step 2

♦ Connect Motor driver to Arduino and check whether is it work or not.

Figure 02

The wiring diagram showing in Figure-02. You can make it without any effort. So, if you want you can use this

sample code for check it.

Step 3

♦ Program ESP8266 module as needed.

This module is use to connect with Android device and communicate with Arduino. For more details about

ESP8266 module click here. The program for ESP8266 is depend on programming plan. I use client server

architecture for implement this system. The Android device is the server of this system and ESP8266, Arduino

both are client. So, ESP8266 can program by using Arduino IDE and the program code can be differ according

to the functionalities. I use few simple functions such as speed control, turning, bi-direction. However, you can

use this sample code to program ESP8266.

Step 4

♦ Connect ESP8266 module to Arduino.

Figure 03

The connection is very simple as shown in Figure-03. I use only one connection among ESP8266 and Arduino.

And ESP8266 send server data to Arduino through in that connection(ESP8266 Tx --> Arduino Rx(Pin 10)). So

the connection is serial connection. Next program Arduino, for read serial data which are coming from

ESP8266. Here is sample code for Arduino.

Make sure ESP8266 Vcc connect to 3.3V on Arduino.

Step 5

♦ Establish communication among ESP8266 and Android mobile.

In this scenario Android device behave as a server. Deploy local server by using portable Wi-Fi hotspot in

Android device. Here is sample code for Android device. If you want you can edit code as preference. So, there

is .apk file as well.

Those are the main steps, so the summary is shown below. More details about code is included in each sample

code.

Review

● ESP8266 module - ESP8266, Sample Code for ESP8266

● Arduino - Figure-03, Sample Code for Arduino

● Android device - Install android app

That's all. Feel free to ask any question, regarding to this post.

Thank you!

Rajitha Kumara

OCTOBER 29,2017