This guide shows you how to use HTTP commands to wirelessly control your robot driver board from a Linux or macOS computer.
The driver board includes a built-in lightweight HTTP server, allowing you to send JSON commands directly over Wi-Fi — no special drivers or tools required.
Clone the example project from GitHub:
git clone <https://github.com/EffectsMachine/robot_driver_with_esp32s3_lite.git>
cd robot_driver_with_esp32s3_lite
💡 Tip:
If Git is not installed, you can install it with:
sudo apt install git # Ubuntu / Debian brew install git # macOS (Homebrew)
The repository includes several host-side control examples.
In this tutorial, we’ll focus on the HTTP example.
Your robot driver board runs a tiny built-in HTTP server (default port 80).
You can control it directly through your browser or by sending HTTP requests from a Python script.
| Advantage | Description |
|---|---|
| Cross-platform | Works seamlessly on Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, and iOS. |
| Developer-friendly | Every modern language (Python, C++, JavaScript, etc.) supports HTTP libraries. |
| Readable & structured | Commands use standard JSON, making them easy to debug and expand. |
| Scalable | Can evolve into HTTPS-secured or RESTful API systems for cloud or web control. |
⚠️ Note:
HTTP is not designed for real-time control.
It’s ideal for ~40 commands/sec operation such as movement control, parameter updates, or data queries —
not for millisecond-level trajectory or servo synchronization.
When powered on, the driver board launches an HTTP server on port 80 and connects to a Wi-Fi network in one of two modes: