• Control a Camera wherever you want in your House with this RC Car Camera.
• Control car speed.
• Control away from home like everything in HA.
• Works when it's charging so it's possible to move the Pan/Tilt camera where you want.
• Battery docker station.

• MATERIALS
• FILE CONFIGURATION OR INSTALLATION
• DIAGRAM CONNECTION

https://youtu.be/ULK-bejEP4k

I am not an electronics, programming or espHome expert. I have been searching, getting inspiration from videos and looking for information until I put the pieces together. What I am is a big fan of Home Assistant with a multitude of home automation devices, even addicted :).

INSPIRATION:

• https://github.com/ishakmuhamad/rc-car-homeassistant
• https://www.amazon.es/dp/B06XKC6Q86/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_AA99JTHV7PV2H54CWFJE?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
• https://youtu.be/tyY7AN132Xs
• https://youtu.be/aJeD7R48ZyI

• Esp8266 nodemcu board
• Esp32 cam board and for installation FT232RL TTL Serial Converter
• 12V Battery 6800mah Li-ion Rechargeable Battery with Protection Board, BMS and Charger https://a.aliexpress.com/_vECinm
• Arduino Car Kit with 4 TT motors and wheels https://a.aliexpress.com/_ugpMKk
• Servo Pan/Tilt depends on the weight of the USB camera:
• Servo Pan/Tilt for 2 servo motors sg90 or mg90s 180º, in my case the sg90 sometimes it doesn't have enough strength to move up a Xiaofang Camera. https://a.aliexpress.com/_vaiPQg

Or

• MG996 Pan/Tilt for 2 servo motors MG996 https://a.aliexpress.com/_v7d13E
• 2 servo motors SG90 or Mg90 180º

Or

• 2 servo motors MG996 180º https://a.aliexpress.com/_vYO1g4
• Dupont Cables https://a.aliexpress.com/_vOOCXW

OPTIONAL:

• USB Voltage Regulator DC-DC Charger or a Portable Battery for the usb camera https://a.aliexpress.com/_vLq7TC
• rtsp USB Camera (Xiaomi Xiaofang in my case) because I want a better image quality and night vision
• 12.6 Battery indicator https://a.aliexpress.com/_vnwGzs
• Soldering PCB boards https://a.aliexpress.com/_vnVAiM
• Led lights. https://a.aliexpress.com/_vkivtW
• Transistors
• Ohms
• 3d printed case for battery docker station

• Plug your esp8266 in your computer or Raspberry Pi. In EspHome select + new device, click continue, write a file name like RC-Car, in select your device type pick specific board and choose nodemcu.

• Click skip. Copy and paste in edit button the content of RC-Car.yaml file in your file, change your ssid and WiFi password validate it and install it.

• Choose Plug into the computer running ESPHome Dashboard and wait the installation.

• Look at the log and copy the IP address in case it does not appear automatically in Home Assistant.

• In Home Assistant, Go to Configuration, Devices and services, if it's not your new ESPHome device: add integration, search for ESPHome and write the IP address in the host.

• Then several entities should appears at Home Assistant:

  • switch.input1
  • switch.input2
  • switch.input3
  • switch.input4
  • light.onoff_and_speed_car
  • light.led_cam
  • service: esphome.rc_car_control_servo_x
  • service: esphome.rc_car_control_servo_y

• You have to create two input numbers in helpers from min -100 and max 100 with slider, like this names:

  • input_number.servo_x
  • input_number.servo_y

• Once created this input_numbers them copy and paste the content of automations.yaml in your automation.yaml or take it as an example and create it in the UI settings

• Also copy and paste the content of scripts.yaml into your scripts.yaml file or take it as an example and create it in the UI settings

• For ESP32Cam installation I have to use a FT232RL TTL to plug in Raspberry Pi.

• Connections: VCC from TTL to 5.5v in ESP32, GND from TTL to GND in ESP32, RX from TTL to GPIO1 in ESP32, TX from TTL to GPIO3 in ESP32, In ESP32 connect a bridge from GPIO0 to GND.

• Plug your ESP32cam in your computer or Raspberry Pi. Select new device in EspHome, click continue, write a file name like RC-Car-32cam, in Select your device type choose ESP32.

• Click skip. Copy and paste in edit button the content of RC-Car-32cam.yaml file in your file, change your ssid and WiFi password validate it and install it.

• Choose Plug into the computer running ESPHome Dashboard and wait the installation.

• Look at the log and copy the IP address in case it does not appear automatically in Home Assistant.

• In Home Assistant, Go to Configuration, Devices and services, if it's not your new ESPHome device: add integration, search for ESPHome and write this IP address in the host.

• Then other several entities should appears at Home Assistant:

  • camera.rc_car32_cam
  • light.led_rc_car32cam
  • sensor.rc_car32cam_ esphome_version
  • switch.rc_car32cam_restart
  • binary_sensor.rc_car32cam_status
  • sensor.rc_car32cam_wifi_signal_sensor
  • sensor.uptime_sensor

• Remove all the wires and connect the ESP32Cam like diagram using only 2 wires, VIN and GND.

• If you want to modify your ESP32Cam file the bridge must be plugged in.

• In your Home Assistant Lovelace or Dashboard:

  • Create a Camera Live Card with your name cameras.
  • Create a Grid card with all script control buttons (example if you want to paste in code)
  • Create a Speed Controller using light.onoff_and_speed_car entity with slider
  • Create a entities card with input_number.servo_x and input_number.servo_y
  • Create a Camera auto Card

• IMPORTANT: For using the car, the light.onoff_and_speed_car must be ON and more than 75% "brightness". Need more "brightness" for turn or rotation than forward or backward.

• Thats It! Have a good time!

TO DO OR WISHLIST:

• It can use only a esp32camera without the esp8266 board.
• 3d printed battery docker station "like a robot vacuum"

#esphome #rccar #rccars #rc #homeassistant #L298N #ttmotors #esp8266 #esp32cam #fpv #fpvcar #fpvwifi #wificar #rcwifi #car #cars #wirelessrccar #radiocontrol #esphomerobot #robotcar #robotcar #esphomecar #esphomeproject #esphomeservo #esphomepantilt