Complete Carduino Build Guide

Step-by-Step Instructions to Build Your Own Arduino-Based Mini Robot

Operating Modes

Understanding Carduino's three modes of operation

🎮

Remote Control Mode

Control Carduino via Processing interface with real-time direction and speed commands from PC.

Bluetooth communication

Real-time control

User interface

Speed and direction control

🚫

Obstacle Detection Mode

Autonomous movement at constant speed, modifying trajectory to avoid obstacles.

Autonomous operation

Obstacle detection

Path correction

Continuous movement

🔊

Sound Navigation Mode

Autonomous movement that changes trajectory when detecting loud sounds.

Sound detection

Autonomous navigation

Direction changes

Environmental response

Required Components

Complete parts list for building Carduino

Main Platform

Arduino BT Platform (Arduino)

Proto-shield (Shield)

Micro pushbutton 12x12 (Reset)

Resistors (Rs1,Rs2)

LEDs (Green/Red) (Ls1,Ls2)

Power System

Rechargeable AA Batteries 1.2V NIMH 1500MAH (Baterías)

Battery holder for 6 batteries (Portapilas)

Charger (Cargador)

7805 Regulator (Rp1)

Capacitor 1nF (Cp1,Cp2)

Capacitor 100uF (Cp3)

Capacitor 22uF (Cp4)

100uH Coil (Lp1)

Motor Control

H-Bridge L293D (Control de motores)

DC Motor Reducer 50:1 (M1,M2)

Sensors

Infrared Sensor CNY70 (Inf1,Inf2)

Long neck pushbutton (P1-P6)

3-pin electret microphone (Mic)

Resistor 2.7kOhms (Rd0,Rd3)

Resistor 10kOhms (Rd1)

Resistor 3.9kOhms (Rd2)

Resistor 1.2kOhms (Rd4)

Resistor 510Ohms (Rd5)

Odometers

Resistor 220 Ohms (Ro1)

Resistor 10kOhms (Ro2)

White cardboard (Cartulina)

Mechanical Parts

Traction wheels (RuedaIzq,RuedaDer)

Metal-plastic free wheel with nut (RL)

Spacer screws without tip (Tornillos)

Nuts for screws (Tuercas)

x12

Marquetry panel for bases (Panel de chapó)

Perforated bakelite board (Pcb)

Cables & Connectors

Wire 0.28mm (5 colors) (Hilo)

x5m

Male pin strip (Pines macho)

Female pin strip (Pines hembra)

Single female pin strip (Pines Hembra)

Round aerial connector 2-way large (ConM1)

Accessories

Insulating tape (Cinta aislante)

Teflon tape (Cinta Teflón)

Cable ties (Brida)

Solder (Estaño)

Contact adhesive (Adhesivo de contacto)

Bic pen (Bic)

Required Tools

PC

For software loading

USB Cable

Connection between mini-robot and PC

Wire Stripper

Cutting and stripping cables

Punch

For making perforations

Sandpaper

Sanding marquetry panel, rounding edges

Cutter

Cutting marquetry panel and bakelite board

Soldering Iron

For making electronic component connections

Desoldering Pump

For removing poorly made connections

Required Software

🤖

Arduino IDE

1.8.x or newer

Integrated Development Environment for Arduino programming

Download

Code editing and compilation

Sketch upload to Arduino board

Serial monitor for debugging

Library management

⚡

Processing IDE

3.5.x or newer

Development environment for the Processing programming language

Download

User interface development

Real-time robot control

Visual programming environment

Cross-platform compatibility

📚

Firmata Library

Included with Arduino IDE

Standard protocol for communicating with microcontrollers

Download

PC to Arduino communication

StandardFirmata sketch included

Real-time control capabilities

Cross-platform support

🔗

Bluetooth Drivers

System dependent

Drivers for Arduino Bluetooth module communication

Download

Bluetooth module recognition

Serial communication setup

Device pairing support

115200 baud rate configuration

Educational Documents

📖

Arduino Basics

Comprehensive guide to Arduino basics, terminology, and programming fundamentals

📖

Arduino Libraries

Step-by-step guide to creating custom Arduino libraries with practical examples

📖

Circuit Simulation

Complete guide to electronic circuit simulation using Proteus software

📖

PC Communication

Guide to establishing communication between PC and Arduino for data exchange

📖

Soldering Guide

Essential tips and techniques for achieving quality soldering in electronics projects

Step-by-Step Assembly

Complete construction guide with detailed instructions

Basic Shield Assembly (v4)

Solder male pin strip to shield inputs/outputs, add resistors [Rs1,Rs2], reset button, and LEDs [Ls1,Ls2]. Add female-female connectors for stacking shields.

Solder straight male pin strip to shield inputs and outputs

Add resistors Rs1 and Rs2

Install reset button

Add status LEDs Ls1 (green) and Ls2 (red)

Add female-female connectors for shield stacking capability

Power System Assembly

Assemble power cable and power stage components for battery management.

Create power cable with round aerial connector and male pins

Mount round aerial connector on one end

Add two straight male pins on other end and bend to final position

Cover one pin with insulating tape to prevent shorts

Install voltage regulator 7805

Add filter capacitors Cp1, Cp2

Add power capacitors Cp3, Cp4

Install power coil Lp1

Connect power stage to power cable

Ensure correct battery polarity (+ and - terminals)

Status LEDs Installation

Install status LEDs near front of shield for easy battery state visualization.

Position LEDs as close as possible to shield front

Connect to power stage

Ensure proper orientation (anode/cathode)

Test LED functionality

Platform Preparation

Download templates and prepare platform structure with perforations and bakelite boards.

Download platform templates (click image below to download)

Make all indicated perforations according to templates

Cut bakelite board sections according to templates

Fix bakelite sections to platforms

Prepare upper and lower platforms

Obstacle Detectors Installation

Mount pushbutton sensors on bakelite boards with proper wiring.

Fix pushbuttons to bakelite boards

Connect right leg to 5V on bottom

Connect right terminal (opposite diagonal) to shield input

Ensure proper contact and insulation

Test all 6 detectors

Motor Installation

Fix two motors [M1, M2] using cable ties through created perforations.

Use created perforations for motor mounting

Fix motors with cable ties

Ensure motors are securely mounted

Position motors before odometer installation

Prepare for odometer components

Odometers Assembly

Install infrared sensors for odometry with proper resistance connections.

Fix odometers as close to platform as possible

Connect each odometer leg to a resistor

Connect resistor terminals to 5V

Connect both odometer legs to ground

Output to shield between receiver and 10k resistor [Ro2]

Use motor cable tie perforation for 5V connection

Microphone Installation

Mount 3-pin electret microphone with proper wiring and insulation.

Cut two cables longer than tube length

Solder microphone terminals

Protect terminals with insulating tape

Pass cables through tube

Solder to bakelite board behind upper platform

Connect ground terminal to ground

Connect remaining terminal to shield input

On/Off Switch Installation

Install power switch with proper terminal connections.

Center cable is output

Left cable is ground

Right cable is 7.2V input from shield

Ensure proper insulation and mounting

Battery Installation

Mount battery holder to ensure proper cable lengths for shield connection.

Install 6-battery holder

Ensure proper cable lengths

Connect to power system

Test battery connections

Wiring Assembly

Complete all wiring connections following detailed schematics.

Connect all ground points together (black cable)

Connect all Vcc points together (orange cable)

Connect odometer grounds

Connect switch ground

Connect microphone ground

Connect all pushbutton left legs to Vcc

Connect motor cables (white and green)

Connect odometer outputs (white and black)

Pass all cables through platform perforations

Separation Screws

Install separation screws with proper nut positioning.

Insert nuts from upper to lower platform

Use first lock nut to secure upper platform position

Use remaining two nuts to fix lower platform position

Ensure no excess nuts below last nut

Connector Installation

Add connectors to cable terminals and mark for easy identification.

Add connectors to all cable terminals

Mark shield connectors and cable connectors

Ensure proper connection identification

Test all connections

Shield Assembly

Mount shield according to circuit map and wiring connections.

Follow circuit map from chapter 4

Follow connections from chapter 6

Position resistors to save space

Interconnect all ground points

Interconnect all Vcc (5V) and 7.2V points

Use socket or female pin strip for IC

Test connections with multimeter after each layer

Arduino Platform Integration

Attach shield to Arduino platform and position on upper platform.

Attach shield to Arduino platform

Position on upper platform

Make connections through connectors

Ensure proper alignment and mounting

Counterweights

Add counterweights for proper balance and stability.

Create lead piece or use metal balls

Cover with Teflon tape to prevent contact

Position for proper balance

Test robot stability

Wiring Diagrams

Detailed connection schematics for all components

Status LEDs

Connection diagram for status LEDs showing proper resistor values and connections.

LEDs Ls1, Ls2

Resistors Re1, Re2, Re3

Transistors Te1, Te2

Zener diode De1

Power Stage

Complete power stage wiring including voltage regulator, capacitors, and power coil.

7805 Regulator

Capacitors Cp1-Cp4

Coil Lp1

Power connector

Obstacle Detectors

Wiring for all 6 pushbutton obstacle detectors with proper resistance values.

Pushbuttons P1-P6

Resistors Rd0-Rd5

Voltage dividers

Sound Navigation

Microphone circuit with amplification and filtering components.

Electret microphone

Resistor Rn1

Capacitor Cn1

Motor Control

H-bridge L293D motor driver connections for both motors.

L293D H-bridge

Motors M1, M2

Control signals

Odometers

Infrared sensor CNY70 connections for wheel rotation sensing.

CNY70 sensors Inf1, Inf2

Resistors Ro1, Ro2

Voltage dividers

Software Implementation

Arduino code and Processing interface setup

📦

Complete Source Code

Download the complete Carduino project with all Arduino sketches and libraries

Obstacle Detection

Connect USB cable to Arduino platform

Open Arduino IDE

Verify correct port and Arduino model

Upload Detectores.pde sketch

Disconnect PC from Arduino

Connect batteries

Position robot on ground

Turn On/Off switch to On position

Sound Navigation

Connect USB cable to Arduino platform

Open Arduino IDE

Verify correct port and Arduino model

Upload Navegacion.pde sketch

Disconnect PC from Arduino

Connect batteries

Position robot on ground

Turn On/Off switch to On position

Remote Control

Connect USB cable to Arduino platform

Open Arduino IDE and Processing IDE

Verify correct port and Arduino model

Upload Dirigible.pde sketch

Disconnect PC from Arduino

Connect batteries

Position robot on ground

Turn On/Off switch to On position

Run Processing interface for control

⚠️ Important Safety Notes

Always disconnect battery cable and keep On/Off switch in Off position when connecting USB cable to PC.

Test all connections with multimeter after each assembly layer to catch errors early.

For Arduino Bluetooth version: Use 115200 baud rate, pair but don't connect with PC Bluetooth module.

Pin 7 on Arduino BT is reserved for reset only - implement in upper shield for better access.

Conclusion

Carduino demonstrates the potential of embedded systems in creating intelligent, connected devices for modern living. This project serves as an excellent foundation for learning robotics, electronics, and programming while providing a practical platform for artistic and educational applications.