How to build NVIDIA JetRacer
2-DoF self-driving race car · Intermediate
JetRacer is NVIDIA's open AI race car: a Jetson Nano on a Latrax Rally or Tamiya TT-02 chassis, with fast TensorRT road following. About $600 for the TT-02 build.
Some soldering, calibration and Linux comfort needed.
Our estimate, part-time
About $600 for the Tamiya TT-02 build, per NVIDIA's BOM
MIT
What is NVIDIA JetRacer?
JetRacer is NVIDIA's open AI race car: a Jetson Nano mounted on an off-the-shelf RC chassis, tuned for high-framerate road following with TensorRT-optimised networks.
NVIDIA publishes separate setup guides and BOMs for a Latrax Rally (1/18) and a Tamiya TT-02 (1/10). You program it in Jupyter notebooks.
The repo was last updated in 2021, and the Jetson Nano Developer Kit is end-of-life.
NVIDIA JetRacer specifications
- Chassis
- Latrax Rally 1/18 or Tamiya TT-02 1/10
- Compute
- Jetson Nano
- Inference
- TensorRT
Figures as published by the project. See Sources below.
Bill of materials
| Part | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Jetson Nano | 1 | |
| 32 GB+ microSD | 1 | |
| USB battery (5 V 2 A+) | 1 | |
| 5 V 4 A barrel supply | 1 | |
| RC chassis and printed mounts | — |
Where's the full bill of materials?
The full BOM, with exact quantities and vendors, lives in the project's own files. Prices change often, so treat $600 as a ballpark from the project. Start at the project repository.
Tools you'll need
- Screwdrivers
- Soldering iron
- A browser
Step-by-step build overview
Electronics & wiring overview
The Jetson drives the steering servo and ESC through a PWM board, with the camera on CSI.
Software
The project ships its own firmware and control code. See the repository for setup.
MIT-licensed Python and Jupyter notebooks.
Tips from the bench
- ☕ The Nano is end-of-life, so look for a used kit or port the code.
NVIDIA JetRacer FAQ
Is JetRacer still maintained?
No. The last update was in 2021.
Sources
Written by Bots n' Beans from the project's own documentation. Check the sources for the latest revision before you buy parts.
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