Monster Truck RC

A monster truck you drive from your phone, and the centerpiece of how I tutor.

The build pairs an Arduino Uno R4 WiFi with an L298P motor shield driving four geared motors, a servo for steering, and a control page the truck serves over its own WiFi access point; you steer with a gamepad paired to your phone. The firmware is modular C++ (separate drive, steering, failsafe, input, and motor-control libraries), each one unit-tested on the host with no hardware required, plus a signal-loss failsafe that cuts the motors if the connection drops.

I use it as a hands-on teaching tool. Instead of abstract exercises, a student implements a real piece of firmware (like the motor’s setSpeed()) against failing tests, then watches an actual truck respond. It’s also a genuine hardware build: a 3D-printed chassis, a photo-by-photo assembly log, and a wiring guide that explains the two-power-loop, shared-ground setup. Equal parts toy, robotics project, and curriculum.