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RC - based security vehicle with measuring station

This is ongoing project of the RC - based security vehicle with measuring station

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Formulation of the problem:

Currently a classic monitoring and protection system use of stationary cameras that monitor only the part of the area that should be protected. This disadvantage causes that the system is incomplete and provides only partial control over what is happening in the protected area. Additionally, the camera itself usually does not have the ability to monitor environmental parameters.

Solution to the problem:

The solution to the problem formulated above is a camera placed on a remotely controlled or autonomous vehicle.  Such a vehicle can reach every corner of a protected area and give us a real-time preview if everything is okay. It can also send measurement data of physical quantities (e.g. gases, temperatures) to the base station. Furthermore, the transmitted image is processed to detect moving objects with specific features in the selected protected zone. If such objects appear then the system will send an emergency notification to the owner or security office. 

Why this project can have a visible impact on the world around us ?

Firstly, such a project can be made relatively quickly because it is built from ready-made and easily available electronic modules. A typical RC vehicle has been upgraded and used in this project to reduce the cost and time needed to make a prototype. Due to its modular design, this project can be easily modified and adapted for other applications, such as inspection of hazardous areas or used in search and rescue operations. 

The first goal of this project was to build a measuring station for RC car and a vision system for objects detection and recognition. The following flowchart shows the connections between the modules of the project. 

The individual electronic modules are connected via different interfaces i.e.: UART, SPI and analog and digital inputs and outputs.

This mini-measurement station allows you to measure the following physical quantities:

  • temperature (DHT11)
  • humidity (DHT11)
  • LPG, Propane, Hydrogen and Methane (MQ-2)
  • position coordinates (GPS NEO-8M)

The vehicle is also equipped with two cameras:

Data processing and analysis takes place on a desktop computer, what increases the vehicle's running time on a single charge. For more information on how to build measurement station, see this instruction.


  • 1 × Arduino Mega 2560
  • 1 × GPS NEO-8M
  • 1 × MQ-2 gas sensor
  • 1 × DHT11 temperature and humidity sensor
  • 1 × Micro SD shield

View all 8 components

View all 5 project logs

  • 1
    Step 1

    In this project as a mobile platform I used brushless RC truck - Desert Buggy Style which is fast and solid. You may as well use another RC car if it is large enough to fit our measuring station and extra battery.

    The function of the control unit in the measurement station is performed by Arduino Mega 2560 that is able to handle multiple sensors without problems. All sensors needed in this project beyond the GPS module can be found here. I closed all the electronics in a black plastic housing with dimensions: 124 x 71 x 38 mm. Additionally I added a micro usb port for connecting power bank.

    In the next step you need to connect the power supply lines of all sensors to the Arduino GND and 5V pins. This is best done using a universal prototyping PCB. Adding additional filter capacitors is also recommended.

    To be able to use my sample code you must make the following wired connections:

    Arduino Mega 2560GPS Neo - 8M
    TX2 (16)RX
    RX2 (17)TX
    DHT11 Temperature and humidity
    Pin 8DATA
    MQ-2 Gas sensor
    A0A0
    RGB LED
    Pin 3R
    Pin 4G
    Pin 5B
    Active Buzzer
    Pin 6S (Signal)
    Micro SD shield
    Pin 50MISO
    Pin 51MOSI
    Pin 52CLK
    Pin 53CS

View all instructions

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