Self-Driving Arduino-Based Toy Cars for Introductory Physics Labs

This poster will explain how computer operated robotic cars can be implemented in college physics lab classes to introduce students to programming while also teaching them about kinematics. Ardunio-based toy cars were built that can respond to light and distance stimuli, simulating the effect of traffic lights. The students are provided a basic code and asked to modify it to control the car's motion, and compare the observed motion to the theoretical kinematics equations. This combines the core physics concepts with real-world examples and useful programming skills. These cars can also be used to study traffic flow and energy use in transportation grids.