I Turned a Push Toy Into a Smart RC Car

Most people buy an RC car.

I engineered one—starting from a simple push toy.

In this project, I show how I converted a basic toy car into a motorized, steerable, LED-equipped smart RC car using Arduino, 3D-printed parts, and embedded electronics. This build is perfect if you’re into DIY electronics, robotics, mechatronics, or Arduino projects.

🧰 What You’ll Learn

1. How to motorize a push toy using a DC geared motor
2. How to design and 3D print a servo-based steering system
3. How to add realistic vehicle lighting
4. How to plan Bluetooth + RC hybrid control
5. Practical system integration (mechanics + electronics)

Electronics

1. Small geared DC motor
2. SG90 micro servo motor
3. Arduino / NodeMCU (planned control)
4. 5 mm LEDs:
5. Yellow (headlights)
6. Red (rear lights)
7. Blue (interior)
8. Resistors for LEDs
9. 7.5 V battery pack
10. Wires, connectors

Mechanical

1. Spur gears
2. 3D-printed steering components
3. Screws, shafts, couplers

Tools

1. 3D printer
2. Soldering iron
3. CAD software
4. Basic hand tools

The original toy relied entirely on hand push.

I removed the push mechanism and:

1. Installed a small geared DC motor
2. Used a spur gear system to rotate the wheel
3. Ensured good torque for smooth motion

This single step transforms the toy into a real RC platform.

Instead of using ready-made RC steering parts, I designed my own using Fusion 360 and then 3D printed it. The steering has been made via following steps:

1. Steering geometry designed in Fusion 360 software
2. Parts 3D printed for easy iteration
3. Steering controlled using an SG90 servo
4. Servo motion converted into left–right wheel steering

This is where 3D printing really shines—custom parts, fast testing, low cost.

To make the car look realistic and more fun, I added LEDs:

1. 🚘 Yellow LEDs as front headlights
2. 🔴 Red LEDs as rear lights
3. 🔵 Blue LED as interior lighting

This step is great for learning:

1. LED wiring
2. Current limiting
3. Microcontroller output control

The entire system is powered using a 7.5 V battery pack, chosen to handle:

1. DC motor load
2. Servo current spikes
3. LED circuits
4. Microcontroller regulation

Proper power planning keeps the system stable and safe.

Planned Control Methods:

1. Bluetooth control using Arduino / NodeMCU
2. Smartphone or Bluetooth remote
3. Control motor, steering, and lights
4. RC transmitter–receiver control
5. Traditional RC driving experience
6. Parallel control option for learning comparison

This hybrid approach makes the project educational and expandable.

This isn’t just a toy hack—it’s a complete mechatronics learning project.

You’ll gain hands-on experience with:

1. Mechanical power transmission
2. Servo-based steering
3. Embedded systems
4. Arduino robotics
5. 3D printing for functional parts

Perfect for:

1. Students
2. Makers
3. Robotics beginners
4. STEM educators

If you’re looking for a DIY Arduino RC car project that combines electronics, mechanics, and 3D printing, this build is a great place to start.

If you enjoyed this project, check out TechKnowLab for more hands-on tutorials and real-world prototyping ideas.

👉 Full design explanation, STL files, and future upgrades are documented on my blog:

🔗 https://techknowlab.com/diy-smart-rc-car-using-arduino-and-3d-printing/