7 Best Raspberry Pi Car Kits for Robotics Enthusiasts

Who does not like playing with cool gadgets and devices? Now imagine the fact that you can make your own robotic car by simply following certain instructions. Speaking of robotics and DIY projects, Raspberry Pi has emerged as a game-changer.

So, we have gathered all the info you need to know about different Raspberry Pi Car Kits, using which you can your own robotic car and step into the world of robotics, electronics, and programming.

You do not need to be a professional coder or an expert in technology. Being a student or simply an enthusiast, you can easily create a Raspberry Pi remote-controlled car.

The kits come equipped with all the necessary components, including a Raspberry Pi board, motors, sensors, and a chassis, along with detailed instructions to guide you through the assembly process.

We have created this guide that consists of some of the best Raspberry Pi Car kits you can purchase and make the best use of them for enjoyment and learning. Before that, lets us look at some of the reason they are being used for.

Uses of Raspberry Pi Car Kits

Here are some of the ways you can use the Raspberry Pi Car kits for:

Education and Learning

Raspberry Pi Kits might be easy to follow and create masterpieces; however, it is a great source of education and learning. You can learn more about robotics, electronics, and programming.

If you are looking to buy it for your child, this might help them get hands-on experience with building a car from scratch and learn to connect different components all by themselves.

Entertain

These kits are not age bound; anyone can enjoy them once you get your hands on them. Whether you are a teenager, an adult, or a small child, you will learn along with the way and enjoy it too.

Once the car is created, you can use these cars to compete with each other, race their cars, or simply keep it as a souvenir in your room. Similarly, such kits also allow the enthusiast to explore their interests, experiment with different configurations, and customize the car to their liking.

Experimentation

Another brilliant way these kits can be useful is for experimentation. You can add more sensors, cameras, and other functions to test different aspects of the technology before adding it to your major product. This makes Raspberry Pi car kits valuable tools for testing and refining autonomous driving algorithms and systems.

SunFounder Pico Robot Car Kit

The SunFounder Raspberry Pi car kit is one of a kind. It is powered by Raspberry Pi that comes with over 10 video courses and multiple lessons to help you set up this car. Not only can you enjoy building this from scratch, but it is a huge source of learning programming and coding.

The kit comes with multiple pieces of hardware, such as a Pico robot hat, ultrasonic modules, speed sensors, 8-bit WS2812 RGB boards, a battery, and other components you will need. 

You will love the RBG light effect mode to give that special effect once assembled.

Moving on, the car can be used for multiple purposes, including obstacle avoidance, line following, RGB strip, and remote controlling it through an app like a regular car. The best of this is that the battery is chargeable and can last up to 90 mins.

Furthermore, it comes under an affordable and budget-friendly category that you get started with, especially if you are a student. 

Let’s explore some Raspberry Pi car kits.

XiaoR Geek Raspberry Pi AI Robot Kit

The XiaoR Geek Raspberry Pi robot kit comes packed with features and multiple aspects you can learn from. This is an advanced and premium car kit that involves advanced programming. It serves to be perfect for experimentation and even for entertainment.

Now the kit comes with Raspberry Pi 4B (4GB) motherboard, XR-Lidar S1 lidar, HD Camera, metal servo, and multiple components. These may sound complicated; however, with hundreds of rich programming tutorials available, you can assemble everything within an hour.

The technology behind this car kit is integrated with AI functions, making it easy to get accurate results for scanning, ranging, building maps, tracking, automatic driving, etc.

It has exceptional build quality and an advanced set of features that eventually make it a bit on the higher price but worth spending every penny.

Adeept PiCar-Pro Robot Car Kit

If you have been looking for a car kit in the mid-price range, there is nothing better than this currently. Adeept PiCar Pro kit is suitable for both teens and adults. The kit comes with the car body, four-wheel drive, expansion boards, and other components. 

As described, the kit features a 2-in-1 functioning where you can choose between a robotic arm and light bulb and build any version you like. The car serves multiple functions that include tracking objects of a specific shape or color, and with the use of sensors, it can avoid obstacles on its way.

To control the robot, you can use the buttons on your keyboard, or you can directly do it on your smartphone. The only disadvantage here is that it does not include the Raspberry Pi, without which you may not be able to assemble the robotic car.

The best part about this car kit, and my personal favorite, is that it provides real-time transmission video through the cameras attached to it. You can enjoy playing with your friends or experimenting with it.

Gewbot DIY Robot Model Kit

If you are looking for a budget-friendly car kit, Gewbot has it covered for you. This smart tank robot kit is compatible with RPi 3B/3B+/4 and comes with a 4-DOF robotic arm that can easily grab objects on its way.

You will also get manual and proper instructions to assemble the car and, in the process, learn to code along with it. Apart from this, Python code is also added to the kit with GUI program that will run smoothly on your Windows or Linux operating system.

Some of the functions that this car offers include Object recognition tracking, motion detection that is based on OpenCV, line tracking through infrared reflection, RGB colors, and real-time video transmission on devices such as computers, tablets, and smartphones.

All the components here are programmable. You can also connect it to another Raspberry Pi/PC via terminal only when both are connected to the same local network.

Yahboom Robotic Starter Kit

The Yahboom Raspberry Pi kit is a professional DIY kit meant for both teens and adults. This is compatible with Raspberry Pi 4 module B and serves basic functions such as object detection, line tracking, etc.

However, this car kit has advanced features integrated with AI technology, making the entire experience a lot more entertaining. Some of the added functions here are gesture recognition, face detection, color, and QR code recognition.

Using this robotic car, you can put the HD camera to the test. Simply connect it with your smartphone and take it along with you to a beach. The powerful DC motor and well-built blades make it easier for it to function.

The kit has all the tools and hardware you will need to assemble the car. Furthermore, the robotic car uses Python/C++ as its major programming language, which you can learn through online tutorials from the Jupyter Lab.

SZDoit Smart Robot Tank Car

If you are a keen enthusiast and love to learn the ins-out of robotics, SZDoit’s robotic car kit can be a huge stepping stone. Through each of these components, you can learn the basics of robotics, STM32, Arduino, Raspberry pi, bearing, shock absorption, and a lot more.

The kit includes an encoder motor, plastic tracks, metal frame, bearings, screw kits, and other parts needed to assemble a fully functional robotic car. Although the instruction manual is provided in the kit, it isn’t of much use.

Moving on, the plastic track can be altered and made shorter as per needed. Also, the motor can be used to measure speed and test them likewise while the car is in a line. 

Considering the overall budget, it is perfect for a beginner. If you are looking to remote control the car, you might need to install the controller and program code such as Arduino. You can learn everything about this from YouTube or other online tutorials.

KEYESTUDIO 4WD PICO Robot Car

The Keyestudio 4WD Mecanum is based on a Pico microcontroller that is a high-power, low-cost board with a flexible interface. The board has multiple components soldered to it, such as a battery holder, IR receiver, LEDs, and power switch.

This is a perfect kit for teens who are looking to learn the basics. Furthermore, since the board has all the components soldered to it, the wiring becomes a lot easier and simple to assemble all the other parts to it.

I loved the design this robot car brings once assembled. It looks funky and also strongly built. Moreover, the board also has holes to add a building that will make it look more aesthetically pleasing.

Above all, this kit is one of the most budget-friendly in the market, making it highly accessible for everyone. Some of the features you will find here includes ultrasonic following, line tracking, IR remote control, obstacle avoidance, and much more.

Conclusion

Here is all you need to know about the different Raspberry Pi Car Kits. These kits provide a versatile platform for robotics enthusiasts of all levels to embark on exciting projects and expand their knowledge in the fields of electronics, programming, and automation.

In the entire article, we learned about the beginner-friendly kits designed to introduce the basics of robotics to advanced kits with sophisticated features; there is a kit for every skill level and interest.

After weeks of research, these kits are perfect for getting started with, and you can grab the more advanced options as well for testing and experimentation. The possibilities are endless when it comes to technology.

However, if you have any doubts regarding the car kits, you can let us know in the comment section below. We will get back to you.

Next, you may also explore Raspberry Pi vs. Arduino.