SunFounder Smart Video Robot Car Kit for Raspberry Pi 4/3B+/3B/Zero W, Python/Blockly (Like Scratch), Rechargeable Batteries Included, Ideal for Engineers and Students (Raspberry Pi NOT Included)
Condition: New
Buy Now, Pay Later
As low as
$15.00
/ mo
Learn more
- – 6-month term
- – No impact on credit
- – Instant approval decision
- – Secure and straightforward checkout
Ready to go? Add this product to your cart and select a plan during checkout.
Payment plans are offered through our trusted finance partners Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay, Apple Pay, and PayTomorrow. No-credit-needed leasing options through Acima may also be available at checkout.
Learn more about financing & leasing here.
Free shipping on this product
30-day returns
Learn more
This item is eligible for return within 30 days of receipt
To qualify for a full refund, items must be returned in their original, unused condition. If an item is returned in a used, damaged, or materially different state, you may be granted a partial refund.
To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.
View our full returns policy here.
Availability:
13 left in stock
Arrives
Sunday, Feb 8
Recently Viewed
Features
- Open-Source Discovery: PiCar-X, ideal for beginners from elementary school and beyond, presents a fascinating introduction to robotics, programming, and electronics. Its flexibility fosters unique project creation and exploration. Compatible with Raspberry Pi 4/3B+/3B/Zero W. ( Raspberry Pi is NOT included).
- Quality Construction & FPV Capabilities: The durable metal build ensures longevity, while the included camera module supports FPV and video recognition for an interactive experience.
- Feature-rich and Adaptable: PiCar-X offers engaging applications like line following and obstacle avoidance, TTS with various sensors and rechargeable batteries support, while its customizable design enables a wide range of projects and interests. ( Batteries Included).
- Versatile Programming Options: Catering to users of all skill levels, Picar-X supports both Python and Scratch programming languages, allowing for flexible learning and skill development.
- Simplified Assembly & Support: PiCar-X is perfect for beginners, yet learning with experienced users is recommended for best results. It comes with easy assembly instructions and forum support for smooth project completion.
Brand: SunFounder
Theme: Robotics
Item Dimensions LxWxH: 10 x 6.5 x 4 inches
Educational Objective: Programming Skills
Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.5 x 4 inches
Item Weight: 1.76 pounds
Batteries: 2 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included)
Date First Available: August 25, 2023
Manufacturer: SunFounder
Country of Origin: China
Frequently asked questions
If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is:
Sunday, Feb 8
Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.
To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.
View our full returns policy here.
To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.
View our full returns policy here.
- Klarna Financing
- Affirm Pay in 4
- Affirm Financing
- Afterpay Financing
- PayTomorrow Financing
- Financing through Apple Pay
Learn more about financing & leasing here.
Top Amazon Reviews
This kit comes packaged nicely with a lot of attention to item organization. All of the small parts like screws, washers, stands, nuts, rivets, etc are individually packed in small plastic bags and labeled clearly. All of the tools needed are included, as well as some parts you may want to use but are purely optional (for example a roll of electrical tape). As for parts, this kit is also surprisingly very generous with spares on parts that could become damaged easily or lost. Pretty much every part type in a plastic bag has at least two spares. The parts themselves are high quality and it does not feel like corners were cut. The frame itself feels like thick aluminum and very sturdy compared to the plastic kits I'm used to. Also there are extra wiring harnesses included for the ultrasonic and IR sensors...as well as one additional ribbon cable for connecting the camera to a Pi (the smaller Pi Zero ribbon cable however does not have a spare, but it is also hard to damage these if being careful). Assembly was mostly a breeze and I was able to complete it within a few hours. The included paper instructions are nice, however I will say it is a little hard to read at times because of the font and color choices. I had to redo at least two steps as I misinterpreted a diagram the first time through. Additionally, with some of the diagrams on the paper instructions, it is hard to see orientation of a part and the important details like, what part goes on top when connecting two together. So, I can definitely see someone brand new to this kit struggling at this phase. Just take your time and read carefully and it should come together. Some parts are also a little tough to fit, like some of the riveting steps (recommend using the handle end of the precision screwdriver to push these in). Additionally, the back wheels took a little work to get on safely, but they're not going anywhere now. There is also no guidance really on how to run your cabling, so I made some choices of my own that I think turned out nice (and better than the stock photos if I must say). There is also a link to online instructions on the first page which I highly recommend looking at! I did not visit the site until after I finished building but I think the online version may be a lot easier to follow along. Additionally, you will absolutely need to visit the site once the build is complete to follow instructions on loading software and calibrating your new robot. No further instructions other than just building the kit and a link to the website are offered on the included instruction sheet. The link on the instruction sheet should be the link you follow when it is time to configure your robot. This link is important because it will take you to the correct PiCar-X page for revision 2.0 of the kit. Sunfounders has had a PiCar-X product for several years and have a different 1.x version of these instructions you may stumble on if trying to get to the guide via a web search. You will know if you're on the older instruction set if it references a regular AA battery pack instead of the lithium pack included with this kit. As for my experiences so far setting up this robot, this is where I ran into most issues. I decided to start with 32bit RaspberryOS-lite (pick 32bit, not 64), however the latest Debian based distro available is "bookworm" which appears to be incompatible with the sound driver script. I was able to get around this by modifying the install script to include bookworm as a compatible version, however after reboot the robot had constant static, powered itself down, and seems to have shorted out the sound system at this point. Another issue I ran into is by default HDMI and bluetooth were also enabled for audio which I believe led the ALSA (yes dreaded ALSA) system into being confused on where to send audio when testing. This required some sleuthing and some knowledge on how to correct it and set the default audio "card." Additionally with the setup process, I ran into issues satisfying dependencies and getting all the pip modules to install that Sunfounder's scripts were supposed to be automatically installing. I had to set up a bypass for python3 pip installs so the installer would ignore externally managed environments. There are a couple ways to do this, one is to use a python virtual environment...the other is to just allow pip packages to break through regardless...neither option is explained in Sunfounder's documentation and will require the builder to have some knowledge of Linux, Python, etc and likely some web searching elsewhere in order to resolve. Otherwise, I was finally able to complete all of the module installations, and perform calibrations, and test all of the motors, servos, and sensors. The only part I have not been able to resolve is the audio, I think either the adafruit library we are supposed to use is not compatible with bookworm yet, or I have accidentally shorted out or broken that component trying to get it to work. Outside of sound however, I am VERY happy with how this robot turned out! It is solid and professional feeling, has a nice weight to it, and feels like it can definitely take on some spills and still be fine. The motors and servos are strong and fast. The battery is definitely up to the task of powering everything for hours. I am rating this overall 4/5 stars. It's a fantastic robotics learning platform, however wne star is being taken off simply due to the post setup experience not being great for a beginner. I think Sunfounders could easily resolve this by maintaining their own snapshots of a linux distro that is guaranteed to work on both a Pi and Pi Zero, otherwise there will always be issues where the surrounding industry/Linux Community makes changes to live releases that break Sunfounder's scripts or instructions. If you're already familiar with Linux however yet relatively new to robotics, I can still confidently say this is a very nice kit to start off with...nearly perfect!
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2023 by Adam Adam
I got the SunFounder Smart Video Robot Car Kit as the starting platform for a project I have wanted to work on for a while. I'm mostly using the car as-provided for now, with the only addition being a solid-state LIDAR imager. I eventually want to add a pick arm and basket to the thing, with the idea being that the robot will run around before my robot vacuum comes through, picking up dog toys from the floor in the den. As a platform, the car is nicer than what I would have created as a minimum deliverable. In particular, I would have been most intimidated by the mobile power source (sizing, regulation, and charging). From a code perspective, I pretty much just decided to start from scratch. It seemed like the best approach, since I was including another sensor, and wanted to try to incorporate mapping info from another device. While not quite turnkey, the SunFounder Car Kit is definitely frees up the user to code, modify the platform, and experiment. At $90 (with $15 off coupon, at the time of this review) I think this is a great deal. Normally, I'd look at something that's a collection of parts, and I'd say that it's better to get it yourself... in this case, I don't think that'd work. There are too many fabricated pieces - and ones that wouldn't work well as 3D printed parts. In other words... get this kit - rare 5 star review for me. Highly Recommended
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2023 by C. Okamuro
I haven't finished the assembly or programming yet, but wanted to write a review while some impressions were still fresh. I was very impressed with the packaging of this kit. Most of the parts- with the exception of the tires and large metal pieces, are in clearly labeled resealable plastic bags. The chassis and other metal body parts are stamped aluminum with a satin finish and no rough or sharp edges or burrs. The video on their site is very valuable, and the narrator is a native English speaker. For the actual construction, two screwdrivers (one magnetized) and a small stamped wrench are included. Skim the directions before beginning assembly though, as it's easy to get carried away with assembly. I'd also recommend getting your Pi up and running before doing any construction, as there is at least one calibration step which needs to be performed with the Pi before the servos can be installed. I didn't see an age range listed, but I'd say anyone under the age of 12 may need some assistance with the assembly, mainly with the M1.5 screws; I found them to be a bit of a challenge and did not use all 4 when securing one of the plastic arms. I was also a little disappointed with the decision to use plastic rivets; they do the job, but do not provide as tight a fit as I'd like, in particular with the front-facing ultrasonic module.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2023 by hochspeyer
This took about 2 hours to assemble with some distractions. Actually took longer to get a working Pi image and WiFi connected. Haha There are many extra parts for some,but not others. Be careful with the tiny plastic rivets. I had no extra of a couple and they were close to breaking. Everything is included other than a Pi, a micro SD card, and patience. The included instructions are also not clear on the servo connections, and just refer to P11. The servos are on PWM 0, 1, 2 and the sensors on ADC & Digital. Had to look up a few pics online to get the pin out right, but that could just be me. Once you have it assembled and a working Pi image with EZBlock things go well. With EZBlock the provided examples are great and work out of the box. Looking forward to moving on with python to get a bit more control. Image quality of the "head" isn't great, but from a 1/4" cmos was not a surprise. Good enough for projects, don't expect 4k :-D Overall an amazing project that me and my 6 year old put together, terrifying the dog during testing.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2023 by David G. David G.