Thank you, John for answering my questions. I am out here in the middle of Massachusetts. Is there a robotics club around?

My RC car is not the correct one for this job. It has 4 wheel drive and hence a drive belt down the middle where I would mount the PIC. I refer to it because that is all I have. If this idea takes wings a new car can be purchased.

My first thoughts for autonomous control sensors is simple sonic proximity detectors. If they looked to the right and to toward the front, I'll bet I could program the car to follow a wall (close on its right side) until it found an opening (in a corner). Or something....

I need to pick a PIC. I've been told that VEX uses Microchip's 18F8520. Our local technical high school has some VEX kits, but I do not have access to play with them. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I am a retired digital hardware and software designer. I still have my Texas Instruments 7400 Series TTL catalog. I have not done hardware design since the early 1980's. I am way out of touch.

Ken