We have released RumiCar Zero2Cam, the software for a RumiCar built around a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W and a Camera Module 2. One repository holds the on-board program, the PC drive manager, and a standard SD-card image that works as soon as it is written. Everything is published under the MIT License.
- GitHub: https://github.com/RumiCar-group/RumiCar-Zero2Cam
- Downloads: Releases (latest: v0.1.2)
What it does
It drives as soon as it is powered on. Like the Arduino version of RumiCar, it reads three ToF distance sensors (left, centre, right) and decides how to drive. The wiring is the same as the existing RumiCar.
The car is its own access point. On boot the car brings up a Wi-Fi access point (SSID RumiCar). Connect the PC to it and you are linked, with no router needed.
Control it from the PC while watching the image and the state. The Windows drive manager shows the camera image (320×240, about 20 frames per second), the ToF values, the logic state and the motor output. There are three drive modes:
- Auto: the car’s own logic drives
- Manual: drive with the arrow keys on the PC
- Record-only: motors stopped, images and state still streamed (push the car by hand to collect data)
An emergency stop is available from the app. In manual mode it latches automatically if the PC’s heartbeat stops for one second.
Record driving data and improve the decision data. A recording starts automatically on every connection and saves each camera frame together with that moment’s sensor values, decision and motor output. The driving logic’s decision data is a single parameter file (params.json), so you can adjust values while looking at the recordings, send the result to the car as a new version and switch to it, even while driving. If it does not work out, roll back to the previous version. The README shows how to open the recording folder in the Claude desktop app and ask it for improvements.
What you need
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| A RumiCar chassis with a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W | DRV8835 motor driver, three VL53L0X distance sensors, Camera Module 2 |
| microSD card | 8 GB or more |
| Windows PC (64-bit, Windows 10/11) | With Wi-Fi |
| Raspberry Pi Imager | To write the SD card |
Getting started
- From Releases, download the SD-card image (
rumicar-zero2cam-<version>-<date>.img.xz) and the drive manager (RumiCarDriveManager-<version>-win-x64.zip). - Write the image with Raspberry Pi Imager. The user, SSH and Wi-Fi are already in the image, so answer “No” to “OS customisation settings”.
- Put the car on a stand and switch it on. The first boot reboots once after 2–3 minutes, then the car drives off.
- Connect the PC’s Wi-Fi to
RumiCar, run the unzippedRumiCarDriveManager.exeand press Connect.
The README covers the full procedure, every part of the app, SSH access, updating and troubleshooting. The app’s user interface is in Japanese; the README explains each part in English.
Scope of this version
Version 0.1.x covers the ToF driving logic, camera capture and streaming, control, recording and version management from the PC, and the standard SD-card image. Driving logic that uses the camera images is planned for the next version.
The source code is under the MIT License. Please report problems and questions on GitHub Issues.