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PLEASE READ!
A more up to date version of these
pages now
lives
HERE along with reviews of power chairs and wheelchairs
Click on picture for new window with larger image
Far from finished, but some movies of it actually
running/turning by Radio Control below. Right click, choose "save target as" and save them on your
desktop each is about 5mb and may be slow to download...
Compare this manoeuvrability to a chair with
castors. It works just as well with someone sat on it, we tried it! I drove my
girlfriend all over the pub, and the car park sat on top of it! Pictures soon!
It does tear up carpets though. Looking at a single small castor that can be
lowered when on carpet...
Older Movie1
mpg
Older
Movie2 mpg
Older
Movie3 mpg
.
Far from finished, but some movies of it actually
running/turning by Radio Control below. Right click, choose "save target as" and save them on your
desktop each is about 5mb and may be slow to download...
Compare this manoeuvrability to a chair with
castors. It works just as well with someone sat on it, we tried it! I drove my
girlfriend all over the pub, and the car park sat on top of it! Pictures soon!
It does tear up carpets though. Looking at a single small castor that can be
lowered when on carpet...
Older Movie1
mpg
Older
Movie2 mpg
Older
Movie3 mpg
New!
Curb Climbing
mpg
Curb Climb and Hide!
mpg
Manoeuvring
mpg
Turning
mpg
Destroying the garden
mpg
In the street
mpg
UPDATE at last! - I got bogged down in web building work, etc. Now LOTS more has
been done, updated June 4th (Page
4)
OK, when we stopped working weeks ago, it looked and
was like the previous page. At least now I know why I am building it for sure
now!
So it has Hawker Odyssey (very expensive) Absorbed
Glass Mat batteries fitted. These can make huge currents... They are 25 amp
hour. Because this is enough to drive all day! If I was sat on it and used it as
a powerchair, I would fit 56 Amp Hour batteries, there is room just, I allowed
for this when building it. These would give about 20 mile range. I would have
used Optima's, as I sell them, as these are actually even better, but they don't
make small 25 amp hour ones for the robots... The smallest are ideal for a
powerchair at 55 amp hour, and they are here
www.optimabattery.co.uk
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If I was ONLY building a "robot" that carries my
video camera (and sends the signal back to me remotely) then a over the counter
"robot" speed controller would make life easier to connect up! But... I
wanted to use the Penny and Giles powerchair controller (Pilot Plus 80/100 amp
in this case) for many reasons... 1. It is
a "safe" controller that does many failsafe and fault checking operations, so
hopefully no uncontrollable and dangerous runaways if it fails somehow. This
thing will drive around in public places with a camera at times! We don't want
any accidents, or fires!
2. The Penny & Giles controller (NOT the joystick
pod!) is a very reliable and bomb proof bit of kit with extensive programming
options, that includes turn acceleration, motor compensation, fault codes, temp
fold back, current fold back, current limiting etc etc. Too much to try and
list. All this is VERY useful. |
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OK too much brain work
again,
my head hurts, time for some relaxation time. |
3. I eventually
want to add a pair of model aircraft gyros, one on yaw, and for fun one
on pitch! That's right I want to make it balance on two wheels! Now this
is the MAIN reason to use the P & G Controller. The same one is fitted
to my wheelchair! (And lots of other peoples too!) Without the gyros
even, it allows me to easily just plug a "nodule" into my powerchair and
then I can safely drive it around by using my Radio Control! This looks
very strange - take my word for it! I can drive it into my shower room
out of the way when I go to bed at night for e.g., from my bed. Or I
could drive it about with me in it! Useful to get in and out of my van
too, because the normal control pod is on the arm that I have to remove
to transfer to the drivers seat. Now I don't need it! WITH the
gyro, and another small sensor or two I will be able to balance in a
continual wheelie and drive about on two wheels. While I perfect this
the Robot camera will be used instead! It may hurt less when I get it
wrong... 4. I had one...
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This picture
shows a thing called an "Omni Plus" (The black/blue striped thing on the
left!) This is made by Penny & Giles, so as to allow external
"things/joysticks etc to be connected to the Pilot Plus 100 amp
controller. It has an analogue voltage input for an external control
stick. So to go from your Common Radio Control receiver into this input
is at first a little difficult! Servos/Joysticks, or Servos and "pots"
would work but its crude and not elegant, and it would not fail "safely"
in the event of a bad servo etc. We don't want this thing running wild!
So... Now we go from a "failsafe" PCM (Pulse
Code Modulated) RC Receiver, to a pair of cheap non reversible (forwards
only) aircraft "speed controllers". They were only designed to control 2
amps, but this is irrelevant since we only need a voltage "signal" to
simulate an analogue joystick. These speed controllers also have a 5v
feed built in to run the Receiver, and they in turn get their supply
from the "Omni Plus! All very neat and tidy. The actual signal needed to
be 1.2v plus/minus on both channels, but that was in the end easy to
sort out with a few passive components on a board that sits inside the
"black box" also pictured. This box has the PCM Receiver, 2 speed
controllers and my home built circuit board inside.. And soon 2 solid
state Futaba "heading lock" solid state gyros as well. Then the fun will
start...
Soon these "boxes" will all live inside
the robot. But they are going to be fitted with velcro, |
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This is my trusty computerised Futaba Radio Control
transmitter used to control the robot. I
used to fly "fast" Jet powered planes, and helicopters for years!
It currently only goes for about 6 hours using Ni
metal hydride batteries, but it will soon run from my power chairs batteries,
and have an external signal booster (like a CB "burner") so it will have BIG
range!
Currently it has 1 watt output. Soon to be 30, or
50 watts
The robot will have a video camera on board, so I
can also fit a small transmitter to the robot, sending my picture/sound back to
a small portable colour TV fixed to the same tray my transmitter sits on. Then I
will be able to stay home but drive the robot all over the area. and see where I
am going by watching the screen...
Should be fun.
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Now it has, a front! And a back! And a (home
made) antenna, and all the electronics are hidden on the inside under the 8mm
aluminium plate that has the Voltmeter, and Ammeter sat on it.... |
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A rear view, showing it on charge, and my
new Ariel... Believe it or not this is part of my bedroom! Girlfriend who lives
with me just loves it...
More soon.
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