Starting my first UGV project - need some starting help

highrad:
Very cool TiboJ. I have just started working on a wild thumper project too except I am using the 4 wheel version with 75:1 motors. I am also using the WT Robot Controller. I have a Spectrum DXi6 radio.

This is also very new to me. I noticed you were going to add a pan and tilt unit at some time. Have you done that? I purchased the Lynxmotion unit. (Products - Lynxmotion). I am struggling on how to control (code) the PT.

I like the switch method that Chargrin noted:

Chagrin:
Yes, it would be possible to utilize a switch to tell your Rover that the joysticks (speed and turn signals) control the camera. This would require additional programming on your part; you should look at the example code for the Wild Thumper Controller and make sure you understand it. in the RCMode() function you'll see it reading the speed/turn channels and here is where you'd have it read an additional channel to determine if those readings are for the camera or the wheel motors.

I'd suggest you also set the Rover's speed to zero whenever it detects you've flipped your switch to camera control.

How did you connect yours and can you share your code? Thanks!

Hello highrad,

Nice to know that you're also working on a similar project!
As I'm now busy with tweaking the range of the camera and the controls, I'm not yet started with a pan/tilt mechanism.
I'll do that after the range tweaking.
As jraskell said, you just need to plug the servos into the right channel into the receiver, that's all.
The 'switch' method is nice if you don't have enough channels on your transmitter, for exemple:
if I want to control a pan/tilt system and a robot arm, but I only have one stick left on my transmitter that already is in use for the pan/tilt. So when I toggle a switch on the transmitter, then the Arduino will 'tell' to use that stick for the robot arm, but not anymore for the pan/tilt.
That is what I'm planning to do.

Let me know about your progress, I'll do that also :wink:

Thanks for the help jraskell and TiboJ!

I was able to control WT and the PT using the radio. This will allow me to fine tune the WT platform.

Now my application will require the WT to operate in a very thick steel wall vessel about 100 feet away from the operator so to solve the radio wave penatration and multipath issues, I will have to go wired vs. wireless. Let me know if you have any insight in eliminating the radio receiver and connecting directly to the WT Controller with a cable.

BTW, I will keep you up to date with my project too!

Are you sure that a good 40Mhz(don't know if it's legal in your country) transmitter and receiver can't penetrate it?
If not, or if not want to use wireless, then it would surely be possible to control the WT with a wired controller, like a ps2 controller.
I think you would need to use the serial pins on the WP controller, not sure. I never did something like that before :wink:
I'm sure that there is people out here that know much about that.

I just bought a Futaba f-14 40mhz transmitter, but got a problem:
So, Digital pin 1 of the WP controller is connected to channel 2 on the receiver and it works good(forward and backward), although, digital pin 0(steering) doesn't work on any channel, it just doesn't react on any of the channels of my transmitter...
What is the problem here? I can't find it.
The strange thing is that it worked very good on my previous futaba t6ex 2.4ghz transmitter.

I'm still using the standard code:
http://www.exp-tech.de/service/Sample%20Code/Wild_Thumper_Controller.zip

Any help would be appreciated very much!

I tried to change digital pin 0 to digital pin 9 and that also didn't make it work.

EDIT: Got it working now, the problem was that the D9 was set as a servo output. Now it's strange that D0 doesn't work, probably it is broken.

Does anyone know if I can connect a servo to my 40mhz rc receiver?
I'm not sure because the servo consumes around 230mA and the receiver is powered by the pins of the WP controller like here:

Can the WP controller deliver that current?
How much current can the WP controller deliver on that pins?

I'm talking about this servo:
http://www.servocity.com/html/hs-785hb_3_5_rotations.html

The picture says you have a LM1084, 5V, 5 amp regulator on board. Given that I would think you have up to 5 amps available. Would need a datasheet to say anything more specific.

cyclegadget:
The picture says you have a LM1084, 5V, 5 amp regulator on board. Given that I would think you have up to 5 amps available. Would need a datasheet to say anything more specific.

I think you're right. A friend of me thought the same as you.
There is no datasheet available, but I've contacted the designer of the controller.

I just got a reply of the designer, and you're right!

$) Sounds good!

I reached 400 meters(with obstacles) in my test with the UGV yesterday XD! The video was perfect, but the 40Mhz steering was sometimes a bit buggy.
I'm sure it can reach much more!
Now I'm going to tweak the range of it a bit more.

Did you ever get video to work? What did you use?

Yes :slight_smile: Last time I reached 800m without any bug on the video or steering. It was in an area with fields and a forest, with obstacles like houses and bushes.
For the video, I use a 1.3Ghz 850mW transmitter with a cloverleaf antenna, and a video receiver with helical antenna, but I'll post specs of it soon.

Here is a 'work in progress' picture:

Very strange: I've connected a transistor to digital pin 4 on the WP controller to turn on a IR led, and when the pin goes HIGH, the IR led doesn't go on at all.
If I measure the voltage on the led it's only 0.2v.
If I use my seperate Arduino Uno it works good.
What can cause the problem?

I wrote this above the setup code:
int transistor = 4;

This in the setup code:
pinMode(transistor, OUTPUT);
digitalWrite(transistor,HIGH);
delay(8000); // to test that the IR led turns on for 8 seconds

The wiring should be good because it works good with my other Arduino.

edit1: it seems that it also isnt working with my other arduino after a new test. I'll start another topic as this is not really the 'robotics'.

edit2: solved, gnd of the arduino needs to be connected to gnd of the power supply.

Installed IR leds for fpv'ing when it's night :slight_smile:

Fantastic project TiboJ. Congratulations on all of the effort you put into it!

I'd like to build a 6-wheeled rover, but the cost of the Wild Thumper alone ($249) makes it cost prohibitive for me. :frowning:

I'll keep researching though. Maybe I can find a less expensive way to go.

Thank you :wink:
There should be other chassis out there, but I'm not sure.
This chassis is worth the price!
Keep me updated about your project :slight_smile:

Here is a picture of my 'work in progress' ground station:

TiboJ:
Here is a picture of my 'work in progress' ground station:

Hmm, interesting idea mounting the display inside the case lid. What type of display did you use? Have you run into any excess heating by surrounding it with foam after extended use?

Far-seeker:

TiboJ:
Here is a picture of my 'work in progress' ground station:

Hmm, interesting idea mounting the display inside the case lid. What type of display did you use? Have you run into any excess heating by surrounding it with foam after extended use?

It's a TFT-LCD monitor.
I didn't have use it for a long period yet, but if it becomes a problem, I'll just drill some holes in the back of the case.