Published November 25, 2019

MEGR 3171: Match Box Car Race Track

From store bought to home builds, race your "Hot Wheels" and let the track determine who the winner is!

BeginnerFull instructions provided10 hours514

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Particle Argon

High Brightness LED, White

Microswitch, Roller Lever

dupont wires

Resistor 220 ohm

Hot wheels track pack

Power Bank

USB-A to Micro-USB Cable

Software apps and online services

Particle Build Web IDE

Fritzing

ThingSpeak API

Hand tools and fabrication machines

Soldering iron (generic)

Solder Wire, Lead Free

Story

Introduction:

As a kid, those in our group shared the passion for cars and speed. Not being old enough to drive fast ourselves, we would imagine being in the driver's seat of our model cars, match box cars, hot wheels, etc. The need was speed, and we would race our friends to see who the fastest “driver” was. Even as adults, this idea being the fastest reigns true for most of us. However, safety and the law prohibits us from actually pursuing that desire (in most cases). However, we used this IOT project to simulate a drag-strip type track that records times and uploads them to show who the winner was and what their race time was.

In our project, we are using bi-directional communication between three Particle Argons in order to time ‘Hot Wheels’ cars and decide upon a winner. The intent of the project is to simulate race like situations, in a more repeatable environment. The model can be upscaled for different applications, rc cars, drones, etc., given coordinating track set-ups.

How it Works:

One Particle Argon, Argon 1, is located at the beginning of the track connected to a micro-switch. Two more Argons, Argons 2 and 3, are located at the end of the track, connected to micro-switches in each lane. All three boards have an LED light connected which signal various things. The micro-switch wired to Argon 1 is pressed, turning on the LED connected. This sends a signal to Argons 2 and 3 to prepare to start recording a time, simultaneously, turning on the LED lights connected to these two Argons. Argons 2 and 3 begin counting. When the cars reach the end of the track and trigger the micro-switches connected to Argons 2 and 3, they stop counting and send a signal to Argon 1 signifying the end of the race. Argon 2 send its time to Argon 3, and Argon 3 sends its time to Argon 2 to compare which lane had the fastest time. The LED of the Argon in the lane of the winner will remain illuminated and the losing lane will extinguish its LED.

Code

//Initilize Track LEDs
int track1_LED = D2;
//Initilize Starting Sensor Switches
int start1 = D4;
//Initialize LCD Screen Stuff

//Race Outcome Booleans
bool raceStarted = false;
bool raceFinished = false;
bool car1Done = false;
bool car2Done = false;


void setup() 
{
    //Subscribe to the Outputs of Tracks 1 and 2
    Particle.subscribe("Track1", myHandler, MY_DEVICES);
    Particle.subscribe("Track2", myHandler, MY_DEVICES);
    //Set up the oin modes for the LEDs and the Starting Switches
    pinMode(track1_LED, OUTPUT);
    pinMode(start1, INPUT);
}

void loop() 
{
    //Wait for the button press to start the race
    while(raceStarted == false && raceFinished == false)
    {
        if(digitalRead(start1) == 0)
        {
            //Tell the Track Argons that the race has started
            Particle.publish("StartGate","Start", PRIVATE);
            raceStarted = true;
            //Light the track leds
            digitalWrite(track1_LED, HIGH);
        }
    }
    
    if(raceFinished)
    {
        digitalWrite(track1_LED, LOW);
    }
}

//Handles the Race Status
void myHandler(const char *event, const char *data)
{
    //If Car 1 won the race
    if(strcmp(data,"Car1") == 0)
    {
        raceFinished = true;
    }
    //If car 2 won the race
    if(strcmp(data, "Car2") == 0)
    {
        raceFinished = true;
    }
    //If a Tie
    if(strcmp(data, "Tie") == 0)
    {
        raceFinished = true;
    }
}

//Initilize Track LED
int statusLED = D2;
//Initilize Finishin Line Bump Sensor
int finishLine = D4;
int carTime = 100000000;
int opponentTime = 100000000;
//Race Outcome Booleans
bool raceStarted = false;
bool raceFinished = false;
bool car1Done = false;
bool car2Done = false;

void setup()
{
    //Subscribe to the Outputs of Tracks 1 and 2
    Particle.subscribe("StartGate", myHandler, MY_DEVICES);
    Particle.subscribe("Track2", myHandler, MY_DEVICES);
    //Set up the oin modes for the LED and the Finish line bumper
    pinMode(statusLED, OUTPUT);
    pinMode(finishLine, INPUT);
}

void loop() 
{
    //While the car has not finished the race, wait for it to finish
    while(!car1Done)
    {
        //Check the time once the car passes the finish line
        if(digitalRead(finishLine) == 0)
        {
            //Get the time of the car by subtracting the time when the race started from the current time
            carTime = carTime - micros();
            //publish the time and car1's race status
            car1Done = true;
            digitalWrite(statusLED, HIGH);
            Particle.publish("Track1", String(carTime), PRIVATE);
            delay(1000);
        }
    }
    //Check the outcome of the race
    checkOutcome();
}

//Handles the Race Status
void myHandler(const char *event, const char *data)
{
    //Starts the timer once the race starts
    if(strcmp(data,"Start") == 0)
    {
        carTime = micros();
        raceStarted = true;
    }
    //Check what Track 2's Time is
    if(strcmp(event, "Track2") == 0)
    {
        car2Done = true;
        opponentTime = atoi(data);
    }
}

//Function to Determine the outcome of the race
void checkOutcome()
{
    if(car1Done && car2Done)
    {
        //If both cars have a registered time, then the race is over
        raceFinished = true;
        //compare the times of the two cars
        int outcome = carTime - opponentTime;
        //If the outcome is negative, then the car won
        if(outcome < 0)
        {
            Particle.publish("Track1", "Car1", PRIVATE);
            //Blink the LED in victory
            for(int i = 0; i < 15; i++)
            {
                digitalWrite(statusLED, LOW);
                delay(100);
                digitalWrite(statusLED, HIGH);
                delay(100);
            }
        }
        //If the outcome is 0 then the times are the same and the race is a tie
        else if(outcome == 0)
        {
            Particle.publish("Track1", "Tie", PRIVATE);
        }
        //If the outcome is positive the the car lost, turn off the light in shame
        else digitalWrite(statusLED, LOW);
    }
}

//Initilize Track LED
int statusLED = D2;
//Initilize Finishin Line Bump Sensor
int finishLine = D4;
int carTime = 100000000;
int opponentTime = 100000000;
//Race Outcome Booleans
bool raceStarted = false;
bool raceFinished = false;
bool car1Done = false;
bool car2Done = false;

void setup()
{
    //Subscribe to the Outputs of Tracks 1 and 2
    Particle.subscribe("StartGate", myHandler, MY_DEVICES);
    Particle.subscribe("Track2", myHandler, MY_DEVICES);
    //Set up the oin modes for the LED and the Finish line bumper
    pinMode(statusLED, OUTPUT);
    pinMode(finishLine, INPUT);
}

void loop() 
{
    //While the car has not finished the race, wait for it to finish
    while(!car2Done)
    {
        //Check the time once the car passes the finish line
        if(digitalRead(finishLine) == 0)
        {
            //Get the time of the car by subtracting the time when the race started from the current time
            carTime = carTime - micros();
            //publish the time and car1's race status
            car2Done = true;
            digitalWrite(statusLED, HIGH);
            Particle.publish("Track2", String(carTime), PRIVATE);
            delay(1000);
        }
    }
    //Check the outcome of the race
    checkOutcome();
}

//Handles the Race Status
void myHandler(const char *event, const char *data)
{
    //Starts the timer once the race starts
    if(strcmp(data,"Start") == 0)
    {
        carTime = micros();
        raceStarted = true;
    }
    //Check what Track 2's Time is
    if(strcmp(event, "Track1") == 0)
    {
        car1Done = true;
        opponentTime = atoi(data);
    }
}

//Function to Determine the outcome of the race
void checkOutcome()
{
    if(car1Done && car2Done)
    {
        //If both cars have a registered time, then the race is over
        raceFinished = true;
        //compare the times of the two cars
        int outcome = carTime - opponentTime;
        //If the outcome is negative, then the car won
        if(outcome < 0)
        {
            Particle.publish("Track2", "Car2", PRIVATE);
            //Blink the LED in victory
            for(int i = 0; i < 15; i++)
            {
                digitalWrite(statusLED, LOW);
                delay(100);
                digitalWrite(statusLED, HIGH);
                delay(100);
            }
        }
        //If the outcome is positive the the car lost, turn off the light in shame
        else if (outcome > 0)
        {
            digitalWrite(statusLED, LOW);
        }
    }
}

Credits

Justin Stone

1 project • 1 follower

Dominik Reichel

1 project • 1 follower

Thanks to Dawson Pauley.

MEGR 3171: Match Box Car Race Track

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Software apps and online services

Hand tools and fabrication machines

Story

Introduction:

How it Works:

Schematics

Stating line

Finish line

Finish line

Track set-up

Micro-switch just before pressed by car

Micro-switch pressed by car

Micro-Switch solder and set-up (end of track)

Argon 1

Race Times Taken from ThingSpeak

Wiring Diagram of the Entire Project

Wiring Diagram of a Single Argon Unit

Code

Starting Line Code

Track 1 Code

Track 2 Code

Credits

Justin Stone

Dominik Reichel

Comments

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MEGR 3171: Match Box Car Race Track

MEGR 3171: Match Box Car Race Track

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Software apps and online services

Hand tools and fabrication machines

Story

Introduction:

How it Works:

Schematics

Stating line

Finish line

Finish line

Track set-up

Micro-switch just before pressed by car

Micro-switch pressed by car

Micro-Switch solder and set-up (end of track)

Argon 1

Race Times Taken from ThingSpeak

Wiring Diagram of the Entire Project

Wiring Diagram of a Single Argon Unit

Code

Starting Line Code

Track 1 Code

Track 2 Code

Credits

Justin Stone

Dominik Reichel

Comments

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