Recently I have discovered Arduino and I think it is the most awesome thing I have ever seen! I decided to order one and now I'm on a big project and I need your help guys. Basically, what I want to do is create something that will help handicapped/disabled persons. So here's the idea: I'd like to create a system that can be installed in a library and will be able to get the book of your choice. It will be using a large scale X_Y table and I'm going to connect a bar-code scanner to the Arduino and basically it will scan the whole shelf with books on it (Each book will have a bar-code on its side) and when it find the one that corresponds with your choice, it's going to put it down for you. Now, I know I am starting really rough with the Arduino but that's how I learn haha, I can't do it step-by-step and progressively. Now, here are a few questions that I have:
-Is there any possible way to make a good quality and cheap DIY large scale X_Y table or is it better to buy a pre-made one?
-Let's say there are 4 shelves and I want my ''book-grabber'' to go from the one at the top to the one under it, is it better to write a code that says for example: ''Run DC-Mottor #X for a certain amount of time and then stop'' or should I use an accelerometer?
-Is it possible to create a database of specific bar-codes and store them into the Arduino, so whenever the user wants a book and makes his choice, the Arduino scans the whole shelf and whenever it finds the code that corresponds to the choice that the user made, it will execute another code that will somehow get/grab the book?
In your opinion, how much time would it take to make this, and how much money am I going to spend on it?
Now, I know I am starting really rough with the Arduino but that's how I learn haha, I can't do it step-by-step and progressively.
If you can not do it step by step you can not do it at all. Even someone who knows what they are doing will do it step by step, that is how development works.
This is a typically over ambitious project. You will probably need about 6 months at least of doing projects before you have enough experience to begin to think about tackling this project.
is it better to buy a pre-made one
I don't think they exist do they? There is a lot of mechanical work involved.
-Let's say there are 4 shelves and I want my ''book-grabber'' to go from the one at the top to the one under it, is it better to write a code that says for example: ''Run DC-Mottor #X for a certain amount of time and then stop'' or should I use an accelerometer?
Neither you need to use stepping motors.
the Arduino scans the whole shelf and whenever it finds the code that corresponds to the choice that the user made,
So how is the arduino going to recognise the book? Optical recognition is way beyond the capabilities of an arduino.
In your opinion, how much time would it take to make this, and how much money am I going to spend on it?
Assuming that you can get an x-y contraption that will scan for the book and find it by barcode and assuming that the library will let you put one of these in each aisle (making it very difficult for the other patrons to access books), how are you going to grab books of varying sizes and thicknesses off the shelves without disturbing the other books?
The previous responder way far underbid the task. The bid should be closer to 100 kilobucks.
Try building a model airplane before you start building a space shuttle.
