Surveillance internet rover: microprocessor or PC?

Community General Discussions
1

Hi,

This is about my first robotic project. At first it will basically be a internet-controlled vehicle, but in the future it will grow into something with more automatic skills.
I have strong mechanical and electronic skills and some VB/C basic programming knowledge that I can improve.

I would like to assemble a 4 to 6 wheels internet-controlled rover to drive around and visually monitor a remote piece of private land. The terrain is pretty flat with few obstacles, so tracks should be not necessary.
Rover will have proper batteries, solar panels and possibly GPS.
My idea would be to have and embedded PC or microprocessor to run a very basic web server to which I can log into from any computer or smartphone. In the vehicle webpage there would be a link to the image of the webcam, buttons to control the movements and fields with data from the sensors.
At least I need to control and monitor:
2 PWM for the wheels
2 servos for the pan/tilt of the camera head
future robotic arm
read voltage /currents to monitor batteries and charging
possible future sensors and actuators (compass, atmoshperic, etc)
It will have to be connected to the 4G cellular network which is very strong, so I was thinking to use a mobile hot spot on the robot and wifi connection (I could not find any 4G/HDSPA module in your website, only GPRS which would be too slow to stream the camera video)

I have pretty clear all the parts needed for this project, but the question is: do I need an embedded PC on it, or I can get away with a microprocessor + IPCAM, and if so which processor?

A) I like the idea of the embedded PC with WinXP embedded because I could just plug the USB webcam in it, a USB GPS, run a webserver on it and write a web application in VB. In the developement phase, I could just slap a laptop on the chassis for testing purpoises, which is another advantage.

B) Alternative option: using a less powerful processing unit to just run a webserver with the vehicle controls, and an IPCam to take care of the video.

If I go with A), how do I interface with the PC all the actuators and sensors I need and I will need? PC’s only have one RS232 and a couple of USB, how do I connect everything for now and the future, what are the necessary parts?

If I go with B) using an IPCAM, I will still need to see the camera stream in the same web page used to drive the robot. Can processors like Arduino / Raspberry / etc run a webserver and also show a link to the camera stream, if so which ones?

I appreciate any guidance on this project. Money is not a particular constraint, I care more to make something solid and reliable and open to possible improvements in the future with more sensors and actuators and a certain degree of independence.

Thank you!

2

thank you for your reply.

No Arduino alone then, I need to see the video in the same page as the controls and the sensor data.
But can I use a pc to handle the video and the web server, and an USB Arduino to take care of the sensor data?

Is Rasperry Pi powerful enough to connect a web cam (say, Logitech 9000) and do what I want it to do?
If not what about this embedded PC, good enough?
robotshop.com/roboard-rb-110-single-board-computer.html

Mechanically, I was thinking to build on a chassis like these or equivalent:
robotshop.com/dagu-wild-thumper-6wd-all-terrain-chassis-2.html
or robotshop.com/dagu-4wd-thumper-mobile-platform-2dof-arm.html

What USB motor drivers would you reccomend for these chassis?

Thank you very much!

3

The choice is yours really - an embedded PC can connect to a normal webcam and has all the features you need, whereas a microcontroller is far less expensive, but the video system needs to be separate.

If I go with A), how do I interface with the PC all the actuators and sensors I need and I will need? PC’s only have one RS232 and a couple of USB, how do I connect everything for now and the future, what are the necessary parts?

You can use a serial or USB motor controller, and you’d still need an interface in the form of a microcontroller or sensor input board like the Phidgets 8/8/8. If you run out of USB ports - get a splitter.

Streaming video through an Arduino or other small microcontroller is not practical - you need to separate the video entirely. A Raspberry Pi is a single board computer and can stream video, connect to a USB webcam etc. When you create the page, you’ll need to specify the source of the video stream.

Do you plan to start with a 4/6WD kit or create your own base?

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But can I use a PC to handle the video and the web server, and an USB Arduino to take care of the sensor data?

Indeed. Lots of people do just that.

Yes but be very careful - the Pi has USB issues (mostly power and some compatibility issues with certain webcams). This is not a product we sell, so we cannot offer much support, but be certain if you go this route to choose a webcam which is known to be compatible. Also, you’ll likely need to program in Python or other Linux-based software.

The RoBoard would save you from having to buy a separate microcontroller since it has I/O onboard. you can also opt forthe WiFi rather than the video card, and it can run Windows XP or Linux. It’s a standard computer, so hardware-wise it’s far more capable than a microcontroller, but you’ll have to learn all of the subtleties about programming it and communicating with the IO.

The Sabertooth 2x12A with the Thumper 6WD is a popular choice. The catch is that neither platform is enclosed - so watch out for rain.