gets uneven. For a simple electronics project, where the focus is on the
electronics and not the mechanics, you don’t want to deal with a sus-
pension system.
The infrared remote control works along the same lines as your televi-
sion remote control.You supply an electric current that causes the LED
to generate infrared light. The IC in the transmitter modulates the elec-
tric current running through the LED according to which button you
push on the transmitter: on/off, motor right (we’ll call this motor R), or
motor left (motor L).If you aim the transmitter at the infrared detector
on the kart, the detector turns the infrared light back into electric cur-
rent. That current is then interpreted by the receiver circuit on the kart
to turn the motors on or off, reverse motor R, or reverse motor L (based
on which button you push).So what, exactly, will you be doing in this project? The project involves- Putting together the electronic circuit for the IR transmitter and fitting it
into a plastic box with buttons that you use to control the movement of
the go-kart - Putting together the electronic circuit for the IR receiver/motor driver
- Building the base for the go-kart itself and attaching the various bits to it
Figure 11-1:
The final
product: a
three-
wheeled,
infrared-
controlled
go-kart.240 Part III: Let There Be Light