This article was written by Ankit Gupta, a student and robotics enthusiast from India, based on his own hands-on experience with the ACEBOTT QD001 Smart Car and its expansion packs: the QD002 ESP32 Camera, QD005 Water Launcher, and QD006 Smart Scoring Target.
We’re happy to feature his story on the acebott website as a real user review of how the QD001 can be upgraded into an interactive FPV battle robot for STEM learning, robotics practice, and hands-on maker projects.
“My hands-on experience with the ACEBOTT QD002 Camera, QD005 Water Launcher, and QD006 Smart Scoring Target.”
— Ankit Gupta, Student & Robotics Enthusiast
About Ankit Gupta
Hi, I’m Ankit Gupta, a student from Jharkhand, India, with a strong passion for technology and innovation. I enjoy exploring new technologies, building electronics and robotics projects, and continuously learning through hands-on experimentation. I’m always excited to discover new opportunities that allow me to expand my skills, create meaningful projects, and push the boundaries of what I can build.
What If Robotics Felt Like a Real-Life Video Game?
Ever since I started building robotics projects, one thing has always fascinated me—not just building the robot, but making it do something exciting.
When I first built the ACEBOTT QD001 Smart Car, I was already impressed by its omnidirectional mecanum wheels, ESP32 controller, and the countless programming possibilities. It was an excellent platform for learning robotics, programming, and electronics.
But what really caught my attention was discovering that it wasn’t the end of the journey.
ACEBOTT had designed an entire ecosystem of expansion packs that could completely transform the same robot into something entirely different.
This time, I combined three of them—the QD002 ESP32 Camera Expansion Pack, the QD005 Water Launcher, and the QD006 Smart Scoring Target.
By the time everything was assembled, I wasn’t just driving a robot anymore.
I had built my own interactive FPV battle robot.
Building the Ultimate Explorer Robot
One thing I genuinely appreciate about the acebott Explorer Series is its modular design.
Instead of buying a completely new robot every time you want to learn something new, you simply expand the one you already have.
Every new module teaches a different STEM concept.
The camera introduces wireless image transmission.
The launcher demonstrates mechanical systems.
The scoring target adds interactive electronics.
When all three work together, they create an experience that feels much larger than the individual parts.
That idea alone impressed me before I even started building.
Assembly: Simple, Enjoyable, and Beginner Friendly
Compared to some of the larger ACEBOTT projects I’ve built previously, this one was surprisingly straightforward.
I would rate the assembly as easy to moderate.
The complete build didn’t take very long, and I found the process enjoyable from beginning to end.
One thing I noticed was how well the official tutorial videos and PDF guides explained every step.
As long as you follow them carefully, it’s actually difficult to make major mistakes.
The only small advice I’d give is to avoid rushing.
Taking a few extra seconds to check each part before tightening the screws makes the whole process much smoother.
Personally, I didn’t run into any major problems during assembly, which made the experience even more enjoyable.
Giving the Robot Its Own Eyes
The first upgrade I wanted to explore was the QD002 Camera Expansion.
The moment the live camera feed appeared on my phone, the entire driving experience changed.
Instead of standing behind the robot and watching it move, I suddenly had a first-person view directly from the robot itself.
Driving the robot through its own camera felt surprisingly immersive.
It almost felt like sitting inside a tiny robotic vehicle exploring the room from an entirely different perspective.
What impressed me most was how naturally the camera integrated with the mobile application.
The video stream remained responsive, making driving both enjoyable and practical.
At this point, I already thought the project was incredibly fun.
But then I installed the water launcher.
The Moment Everything Became Fun
I have built quite a few educational robotics projects over the years.
But I have to admit…
Installing the QD005 Water Launcher made me smile immediately.
Loading the water beads into the launcher, preparing everything for the first shot, and seeing the launcher mechanism in action felt incredibly satisfying.
One detail I didn’t expect was the recoil effect.
It might seem like a small feature, but it makes every shot feel much more realistic.
The launcher doesn’t simply fire—it actually gives you the feeling that something mechanical is happening.
That small detail makes a surprisingly big difference.
My First Shot
This was probably my favorite moment in the entire project.
I carefully positioned the robot using the mecanum wheels.
Looking through the live camera feed, I noticed the built-in aiming marker displayed on the screen.
Lining up the target was much easier than I expected.
Once everything was perfectly aligned…
I pressed the fire button.
The launcher fired.
The water bead flew across the room.
A second later—
CRACK!
The electronic target reacted instantly.
The sound effect played.
The LEDs lit up.
I couldn’t help but smile.
For a moment, I completely forgot that I was testing a STEM robotics kit.
It honestly felt like I was playing a real shooting game—except I had built the entire system myself.
The Smart Target Makes Everything Better
The QD006 Smart Scoring Target turned out to be much more enjoyable than I expected.
Every successful hit isn’t just detected.
The target responds with sound effects and LED feedback that make every shot feel rewarding.
My favorite sound was definitely the glass-breaking effect.
It instantly makes every successful hit feel more dramatic and satisfying.
What impressed me even more was what happened after hitting all three targets.
The scoreboard immediately increased by one point.
Then, without touching anything…
All three targets automatically stood back up, ready for the next round.
That automatic reset makes continuous gameplay incredibly smooth.
Instead of stopping after every round to reset the targets manually, you simply keep playing.
It’s one of those small engineering details that makes a huge difference in the overall experience.
Aiming Becomes Surprisingly Easy
Initially, I thought aiming while driving would be difficult.
It turned out to be much easier than I expected.
The built-in aiming marker shown in the live camera feed makes lining up your shots surprisingly accurate.
Once I adjusted the robot using the omnidirectional mecanum wheels, hitting the targets became much more consistent.
One feature I particularly liked was how naturally everything worked together.
The camera, launcher, aiming marker, and robot movement all felt like they were designed as one complete system rather than separate accessories.
That level of integration made the experience feel polished and intuitive.
Programming: Arduino IDE or ACECode?
One thing I appreciate about the ACEBOTT ecosystem is that it gives users flexibility.
If you enjoy traditional programming, Arduino IDE is fully supported.
However, after trying both options across several acebott projects, I personally prefer ACECode.
The reason is simple.
With ACECode, I don’t have to worry about installing libraries, managing dependencies, or dealing with version conflicts.
I simply select the correct board, upload the provided example program, and start experimenting.
For beginners and students, this makes the learning process much smoother.
Arduino IDE remains an excellent option for advanced customization, but if your goal is to get started quickly and enjoy building, ACECode is definitely the easier path.
What Impressed Me the Most
If someone asked me which single feature impressed me the most, I honestly wouldn’t know what to choose.
The live FPV camera.
The water launcher.
The electronic scoring system.
The realistic sound effects.
The automatic target reset.
Each one is enjoyable on its own.
But together, they create something much more exciting.
Rather than feeling like separate expansion packs, they work together as one complete interactive robotics experience.
That is what impressed me the most.
One Feature I’d Love to See in the Future
If I could suggest one future expansion, it would definitely be a multiplayer battle mode.
Imagine two QD001 Smart Cars, each equipped with cameras and launchers, competing in the same arena while sharing an electronic scoring system.
I think that would make classroom activities, STEM competitions, and robotics clubs even more exciting.
Who Should Try This?
I would recommend this setup to:
- Students exploring STEM and robotics
- Robotics clubs and maker spaces
- Arduino and ESP32 enthusiasts
- Parents looking for engaging educational projects
- Teachers introducing hands-on engineering concepts
- Anyone who enjoys building interactive technology
Whether you’re interested in robotics, programming, or simply having fun while learning, this combination offers a fantastic experience.
Final Thoughts
Before building this project, I thought robotics was mainly about programming motors and connecting sensors.
After completing the QD001 with the QD002 Camera, QD005 Water Launcher, and QD006 Smart Scoring Target, I realized robotics can also be about creating experiences.
Driving through a live camera, carefully lining up the aiming marker, firing the launcher, hearing the satisfying sound of a successful hit, and watching the targets automatically reset made every round genuinely enjoyable.
The best part wasn’t simply building the robot.
It was interacting with something I had built with my own hands.
Projects like this remind me why I enjoy technology so much.
They don’t just teach programming or electronics.
They inspire creativity, curiosity, and the excitement of bringing ideas to life.
And for me, that’s exactly what makes the ACEBOTT Explorer Series so memorable.
