I’ve been interested in building a self-navigating robot for a while from hobby electronics. The problem was that I tried adding to the complexity by taking too many variables into account. I tried multiple differential drive kits only to realize some tiny part about it wouldn’t make it feasible to use. I will revisit these issues in a build I’ve been working on for a while, but wanted to mention this to explain why this isn’t under the “builds” category. The Redbot Extreme was almost okay but it wasn’t Akerman.

Learning from earlier mistakes, I wasn’t going to make another one by trying to build a RC car with Ackerman steering from the ground up. I remember watching a video by Hackaday where they mentioned the Donkeycar, so I thought I’d give it a try.

The build is very straightforward, but sourcing the base is not. This build was going to be as hassle free as possible to I sourced whatever donkeycar sold on their site but couldn’t find the recommended RC car in stock. Newegg let me order one but the supplier immediately cancelled the order. So I went for the Exceed Desert Monster build, which offers its own set of advantages.

Battery size comparison
The recommended LiPo battery is almost as big as the NiMH battery the RC car comes with

LiPo battery assembly
Butt first without squishing the axle’s gear. Or you could put it sideways and hope it doesn’t fall off

LiPo battery secure
Be careful not to squish the top too much, one of the terminals on my battery popped off.

LiPo battery side view
The velcro in the gaps on the chassis should hold the battery pack in place.