Hardware Hacking Projects for Geeks

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Part II: Advanced Hacks, Tools, and Techniques

Project Overview

The first steps of this hack will be to build and attach an IR transmitter to

the front of the vehicle, and then attach an IR receiver to the top. Next, you

will build a small microcontroller board with a radio receiver and attach

it to the IR transmitter and receiver. Finally, you will attach a radio trans-

mitter to the remote controller. After hacking the hardware, you will load

software onto the microprocessor.

Hardware Assembly Instructions

This project is suitable for toy-quality, battery-powered cars as well as gas

and battery professional-level vehicles. The circuit board you’ll build will

borrow power from the vehicle, but can also be powered from its own bat-

teries.

To complete this hack you will first disassemble two battery-powered

radio-controlled cars. One you’ve completed that step, you will add a laser

cannon, a hit sensor, and a control circuit board, and finally, you’ll modify

the remote control.

1. Disassemble the radio-controlled cars

Buy two remote-controlled cars from your local toy store or grab one from

your kid’s room. I built my car using a Nikko Humvee 1/14th scale 49 MHz

model #140001BC.

Be sure to buy one 49 MHz car and one 27 MHz car; if you get both cars at the

same frequency, each controller will control both of them.

Take off the top cover of the car chassis. You’ll need