Build Your Own Self-Driving Car With This DIY Kit

Self-driving cars are the future in more ways than we realize. While robot taxis are cool, self-driving and self-operating tech will have enormous impacts on industries ranging from construction to medical to care to public transit.

If you want to learn how AVs work, or have a budding engineer who wants to know, Wheelson will show you how it works, from the road up. The Wheelson: Build & Code Your Own AI Self-Driving Car kit lists for $119, and is on sale for just $107.99.

An AV In Small Scale

Wheelson comes with everything that you need to build your own self-driving car. It comes with a circuit board, a lithium polymer (Li-Po) battery, a board with headlights and camera, a display board so you can see what your little car sees, four electromotors, wheels, and an instruction booklet.

You'll start by building the bot, wiring everything together and then seeing how it functions. Wheelson has a similar design to many larger AVs, so you'll learn how they work as you build.

Coding A Self-Controlled Robot

Next, you'll teach it how to drive. The built-in microcomputer connects to the motors for easy navigation and propulsion, and includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth so you won't need to manage any wires or clean out any ports. All coding uses CircuitBlocks, a coding language perfect for all ages and those new to coding that makes teaching your robot how to recognize objects a snap. There's also built-in line tracking and object recognition functions to get you started.

As you refine your rolling buddy's robot vision, teaching it to drive over a small road you build, you can also teach it to scan QR codes and flash a sequence of lights when it finishes the scan. Finally, your Wheelson will learn to recognize certain objects and to "react" to them by stopping, turning, or any other actions you want it to complete. It's a perfect project to learn about the future of cars while building your own robot.

Get the Wheelson: Build & Code Your Own AI Self-Driving Car for $107.99 (reg. $119).

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