Smart Car Electronics Kit

Name: Smart Car Electronics Kit
Brand: The Science Hut
SKU: 1005004260812442-CHINA
Price: 21.95 USD
Availability: InStock

$21.95

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Build your own robotic smart car...

And watch it follow a line by itself!

The Smart Car Electronics Kit is a hands-on STEM project that brings electronics, sensors, and robotics to life. Solder the parts, assemble the gears and wheels, then power it up and watch as your car uses light sensors and motors to track a path automatically. An ideal weekend project for parents and kids—learn STEM together while enjoying quality bonding time.

Perfect for teens, hobbyists, and adults alike, this kit teaches real electronics and engineering skills. Our detailed instruction manual, packed with photos, guides every step, which makes building the smart car straightforward and fun. The guide also explains the circuit and the science behind the design, turning play into learning. It’s a complete introduction to robotics, electronics, and creative problem-solving—perfect for curious kids and teens or anyone with an interest in building things.

Whether as a gift for a young inventor or a weekend challenge for yourself, the Smart Car Electronics Kit makes learning electronics and robotics exciting, practical, and rewarding. Refer to the dropdown sections below for further product information.

What's Included?

Includes all components required to build the Smart Car:

Printed circuit board
DC motor (x2)
LM393 Comparator IC
DIP-8 IC socket
Light dependent resistor (x2)
100 µF electrolytic capacitor (x2)
10K Potentiometers (x2)
S8550 transistors (x2)
Metal film resistors:
- 51 Ω (x4)
- 1 kΩ (x2)
- 10 Ω (x2)
5 mm Red LED (x2)
5 mm White LED (x2)
Self-locking switch
AA battery box
Connecting wire (x4)
Mechanical component set:
- 20 mm screw nut and cap nut
- 24 mm wheel (x2)
- 24 mm rubber tyre (x2)
- 30 mm axle (x2)
- 22 mm plastic gear (x2)
- 5 mm plastic worm gear
- 2 mm axle sleeve (x6)
- 2.5 mm 3-way axle sleeve (x2)
- Flathead 8mm screw (x4)
- Phillips self-tapping screws (x4)

Refer to the image gallery for photographs of each component.

Learning Outcomes and Benefits

Hands-on STEM learning: This electronics kit gives learners a practical way to understand how science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) combine in real-world projects. Instead of just reading about electronics, you build and test a working robot car that reacts to its environment.

Electronics fundamentals: Gain knowledge of key components like resistors, capacitors, LEDs, and transistors. Learn how they interact on a printed circuit board (PCB) to make a system come alive. These skills form a good foundation for continued electronics or robotics learning.

Sensor technology: Discover how light-dependent resistors (LDRs) can detect light and dark areas. See how simple sensors allow machines to “see” their surroundings and respond in real time. This is the same principle used in many modern smart devices, including driverless cars.

Feedback and control systems: Watch how the car constantly adjusts its direction using input from sensors. This demonstrates a core concept in robotics and engineering: closed-loop feedback. Understanding this principle is key to fields such as automation, robotics, and AI.

Motor control and mechanics: Explore how DC motors power wheels through gears, axles, and tyres. This introduces basic mechanics and shows how rotational energy becomes motion. These lessons connect electronics to mechanical engineering in a clear, fun way.

Circuit design and problem-solving: Building this kit helps you understand how electronic circuits are designed to achieve a purpose. The instruction manual includes the complete circuit diagram along with a technical explanation to aid in your electronics learning journey. If something doesn’t work, troubleshooting teaches resilience and logical problem-solving—essential STEM skills. The instruction manual also includes a troubleshooting section.

Practical soldering skills: Learn how to solder components onto a PCB, a skill every electronics enthusiast needs. Soldering is not just useful for hobby projects; it’s a gateway to repairing, prototyping, and engineering your own devices.

Creativity and experimentation: Once assembled, the car can be adjusted and fine-tuned. Learners can experiment with sensor placement, path shapes, and potentiometer settings to optimise performance. This is essentially an exploration of the 'scientific method' which is the cornerstone of innovation.

Career inspiration: Exposure to robotics and electronics at a young age builds confidence and can spark an interest in STEM careers. Whether it’s robotics, electrical engineering, or computer science, this project provides an inspiring first step.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What will I actually learn from building this smart car?
A: You’ll learn the basics of electronics, soldering, circuit design, and about mechanical gears, as well as how sensors and feedback systems work in robotics. It’s a great introduction to STEM education and robotics for any age through a practical project.

Q: Is this suitable as a STEM gift?
A: Yes! The Smart Car Electronics Kit makes a fantastic STEM gift for teens, students, or hobbyists. It’s fun to build, educational, and inspiring for anyone curious about robotics and technology.

Q: How difficult is the project?
A: The kit is rated intermediate. However, this rating is assigned due to the gear assembly steps (where precision is needed) rather than the soldering steps. Kids can build it easily enough with supervision and possibly a little help from an adult towards the end. The manual gives clear step-by-step instructions with photos that are easy to follow.

Q: Does it need programming or coding?
A: No coding is required. The car uses hardware sensors and feedback loops to follow the black line. This makes it an excellent project for beginners who want to explore robotics without learning programming first.

Q: How does the car know where to go?
A: The car shines light onto the surface using LEDs. Sensors detect whether it’s over a black line or white surface. The circuit then adjusts the motors so the car steers itself back onto the track.

Q: Can I experiment with the design?
A: Absolutely. You can draw different tracks, adjust potentiometers for sensitivity, and even modify sensor positions. It’s a flexible DIY electronics project that encourages experimentation.

Q: Who is this kit best for?
A: Ideal for students aged 12+, hobbyists, parents looking for educational activities, and anyone interested in learning robotics, electronics, or mechanical engineering through hands-on projects.

Q: Is it safe for kids?
A: Yes, but adult supervision is strongly recommended for anyone under 16, especially when soldering.

Product Specifications

Dimensions (approx., when completed):

Length: 10.5 cm
Width: 7.0 cm
Height: 5.4 cm

PCB Type: All through-hole components.

Power Supply: Includes a battery compartment for 2 x AA batteries (not included) - operating voltage: 3.0V DC.

Assembly and Usage Info

Anyone can build this Smart Car Electronics kit following our detailed step-by-step instruction manual which can be downloaded from the link below. The password to open the manual was sent to the same email that you placed your order from. Can't find it? Just Contact Us!

Download: Smart Car Electronics Kit Instruction Manual

Skill Level: Intermediate
Age Rating: 12+ (adult supervision required for under 16's)
Assembly Time: Typically 2-4 hours

Tools and Materials Required

Tools required for this kit

Soldering iron
Solder wire

We sell these items as a bundle for just €25.95 (or currency equivalent) which saves 10 percent! Just click the link below to select your countries plug type and add to your order.

SOLDERING IRON & WIRE BUNDLE

Of course, you only need to buy the tools once; you'll use them again and again for your future electronics projects!

GET THE TOOLS FREE!!!

Our Electronics Kit Bundles include tools completely FREE...

Click to view Bundles

You'll also need a small Phillips screwdriver which you likely already have at home. If not, we sell those too—Precision screwdriver

Links and References

Our blogs & videos related to electronics kits:

Ultimate Guide to Electronics Kits

STEM Electronics as a Hobby

What is Arduino?

Youtube video: Tools, tips and tricks for soldering electronics kits

Shipping and Warranty Info

Shipping Information

Orders are processed for dispatch within 1–2 business days. Typical delivery times following dispatch for this product, depending on region are:

US: 5-8 days (Orders are shipping as usual. The U.S. government shutdown isn’t causing any delays.)
UK: 5-8 days
EU: 6-13 days
Canada: 7-14 days
Australia: 7-14 days

All orders are shipped with tracking, where available. Please refer to our Shipping Policy page for further detail.

Warranty & Satisfaction Guarantee

All electronics kits come with a 14-day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not happy with your purchase, contact us and we’ll arrange a refund or replacement — no hassle. Please note that to qualify for a replacement or refund, kits must be in their original, unused condition. Please refer to our Returns and Refunds policy for more information.

Packaging

We aim to minimize waste while protecting your order. All electronic kits are securely packaged in padded mailing bags containing anti-static ESD bags and/or rigid plastic boxes (depending on the product) to ensure the safety of the electronic components. An example of electronics kit packaging can be viewed HERE. If you're purchasing this item as a gift and would rather that it was in a box, we also sell quality gift boxes at the following link: Quality Gift boxes.

Ships from: International Warehouse

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Bought for nephew

Got as a birthday present for my nephew, 13. He loves it. He can't wait to get his hands on another electronics kit now... which would you recommend next?

Glad he enjoyed it, and hope he's had a great learning experience from it too :) Something of similar difficulty level would be the Digital clock electronics kit or if he's ready for a bigger challenge, the FM Radio Electronics kit is a step up in terms of difficulty, but he should manage it fine if he managed the Smart car electronics kit ok. Thanks for your valued custom :)

Class

Love this. Very straightforward assembly and it works perfectly. I've seen other models that use an actual optical sensor to detect the line, but this one works using light-dependent resistors - when they are pointed at the black line, the resistance changes which modulates the amount of current going to the motor causing the car to turn slightly to keep the black line in the center as it drives... pretty cool idea!

Good soldering practise

Decent STEM electronics kit, gives good practice at soldering. Only drawback for me was the little gears and sprockets weren't so easy to get perfectly aligned, but once assembled, the car is very neat. Kit comes with a sheet with a black track printed on it but you can create any black track you like of any size of shape, once it's black or darkly coloured on a white background, it will work fine. Good fun to build.

Works great

High quality components, supplied in a bag with basic enough instructions. Put it together in around 2 hours. Almost seems like it's alive the way it moves around the track. I'm loving these electronics kits, will be ordering more.

Glad you're enjoying them, Ronnie. We're building out our electronics collection every week; keep an eye on your emails for updates! Thanks

Happy child

Built it, it works. My child is satisfied.