I am new on and here and somewhat new to Robotics. I do have a good back ground in fabrication and electronics.
Basically what I want to do is convert a 700 CC 4 x 4 gas powered ATV (quad) that I have into a remote controlled suvelliance toy for my farm.
I want to build it in two stages - Turret with pan and tilt features and then the control of the ATV.
So need ideas of what might be the best way to control this and what components would be best suited and to start with a control platform that will be able to accomadate all of the functions below so as not to have to purchase two systems.
Turret functions:
Color camera
Night vision camera
12 volt spot light
Turret Pan motor
Linear actuator for tilt
GPS
Loud speaker
2 small servos
ATV functions
Throttle actuator
Brake actuator
Steering actuator
12 volt ignition start
12 volt igniton stop
Fuel gauge
Gear selecting actuator - 3 position
I am looking to have about half a mile line of site range from a PC laptop control. I would like to use a Xbox style joystick but am open to suggestions on any or all compnents and or designs. Not sure if this is best with a WIFI system or not.
looking forward to some input
Thanks
Brent
Thanks for the reply
Can you recommend a micro controler as well as actuators, servo’s that would be easiest to work with and ones that are compatable. There will be power supply from the atv. I see you have many to choose from.
Control software for the PC as well as thoughts on the controler, IE xbox controler ?
Is it not possible to intergrate the camera into the same RF system to send data?
Are there off the shelf systems packaged fopr out doors that might be able to plug in to the micro controler. Both for day and night vision.
As for pan and tilt functions, due to the weight of the turret I will be custom making ( 80 lb) I will need a larger size actuator for the tilt and was thinking of building ring gear and drive motor to control pan function. The throttle, braking and gear actuators will be fairly strong 100 lb force as well need to be fast acting.
The system need to be fairly robust as it will be offroad.
Building the system in two stages is basically to get the turret working and then the easy part from there will be adding the quad to the system. I dont really want to split it into subsytems- was thinking of one platform to control everything.
End goal is for a single operator to have easy control over all functions.
Thanks
Great stuff guys,
looking at the servo for steering, I think this one might do the trick.
robotshop.com/invenscience-torxis-i00600-12v-high-torque-servo-motor.html
as for pan function i was thinking about using a motor and a rubber friction wheel or a ring gear and sprocket muonted on a motor. The turret base is on approx 12 inch bearing so has a very stable base and will hold up against wear and tear.
With the suggested micro contollers, will they be able to operate the 12 factory functions of the Quad: ie starting - stop, can they be plugged straight into the mirco controller.
Camera functions again. I see the suggest micro camera but I am wondering if its not easier to use the outdoor package you have on the site instead. Would like the camera to have the same range as the RF transmitter.
I have no problem buying more parts as I go, of course I will never get it right on the first try and this is a learning project for me.
Controllers: not sure if a person can get the Xbox controller, I just suggested it because I a familiar with the button layout but this one would be sutable as well. Do you see any conflicts?
robotshop.com/robophilo-ps2-wireless-controller-kit.html
I have a good budget for this build so I dont mind buying higher end components.
Thanks again for the advice, I can get enough of robotshop.com I just keep wanting to build more stuff and I havent even started this one yet…
Ambitious project Brent.
Although splitting this into subsystems is the way to go, we still need to consider the whole before selecting the appropriate technology, and you have lots of options and ways of accomplishing this!
The key thing here is “half a mile line of sight” (800m). We could therefore suggest a simple RF serial link for data (control signals, gps data, telemetry) between the robot and PC which can provide a 1000m range:
SFE 433MHz: UM12 Long Range Serial Transceiver (Product code : RB-Spa-219)
The camera video signal could be kept on an independant transmission system, ideally intergated into the camera. This one has a 300m range, I know its a bit short but best we can offer ATM:
Draganfly Eyecam 2.4GHz Color Wireless Video Camera System (Product code : RB-Dra-01)
The pan/tilt can be very simple, using two standard servo motors:
Lynxmotion Micro Pan and Tilt Kit with Servos (Black) (Product code : RB-Lyn-316)
Bring it all together using a microcontroller to read from sensors, send commands to the servos, perform sending/receiving of data between the robot and PC, and even add some “intelligence” to the robot.
Hope this helps,
There is always the option, since you want to control it using an Xbox controller, to tackle this project using Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio. We offer many controllers that work with it such as the Robotics Connection Serializer WL Wireless .NET Robot Controller(Product code : RB-Sum-12). This could be a good place to start as well and allows you to create custom software in .NET that suits your specific needs.
You can not go wrong with a Torxis actuator!
Microcontrollers are programmable, so you have ultimate flexibility. They can control these actuators no problem, we do however suggest you isolate the microcontroller from the high amperage/voltage and only connect the “signal” lead to the microcontroller directly. Power externally and use a common ground strategy to minimize glitching. You may also opt for an external servo controller to “offload” this task and free up the microcontroller for more important tasks or a more supervisory role.
You can basically do anything you want. Most if not all of our robot parts are cross-compatible (to a certain extent).
In terms of the RoboPhilo controller, it can be adapted but this is advanced. It is suggested with the RoboPhilo because the timing of the controller commands have been worked out. If you want to integrate it with your robot, we suggest an oscilloscope to get the timing right with your microcontroller of choice. It is simply a matter of integration which is the fun part 
They do not however provide a HOWTO so you’ll have to dig around online for information.
Wow.
Your microcontroller will need means to control the pan and tilt servos, the steering (probably another servo with gearbox), the throttle (most likely a linear actuator), and the brakes (linear actuator).
This means that you will need a servomotor controller such as the Pololu Micro Serial 8 Servo Controller and a microcontroller such as the Arduino Mega (since it has many serial lines, you will be able to dedicate one to the RF-Link and another for the motor controllers).
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You can then connect another RF-link to a PC and use whatever USB or Bluetooth controller you might want. We suggest having a look at the Controllers Section in order to get some inspiration.
Also, keep in mind that these parts are suggested without knowing the mechanical details of your system, so you might need to adjust the selection to your specific needs (specially for the servos and linear actuators). Also, you might need to power your servos externally (i.e. not relying on the controller traces in order to carry the extra current that might be required to move your mechanical parts)
Also, for the pan and tilt you might be interested in the ServoCity Rugged High Power PT-2100 Pan & Tilt System. It might not be able to move 80Lbs around but it might be a good start.
The Mega can be powered with a 12V source without problems. But if you are trying to power high current devices you will need relayssince it can only provide TTL level signals at low current (~30 mA).
They do not however provide a HOWTO so you’ll have to dig around online for information.
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