The topic of my post seems pretty straightforward, but I have a pretty specific task that I'm trying to achieve and am looking for general advice and opinions on feasibility.
I would like to use an Arduino to control the extension and retraction of a small (50-100 mm) actuator. I would like to be able to do this remotely with a small, concealable controller (like a car key fob). This will be for use in a magic and ventriloquism act.
I want the actuator to be extended when the button/switch on the controller is not activated and then quickly retract when the button is pressed. When the button is released, the actuator should extend again quickly.
So there are several aspects to this including the remote control and receiver, actuator, power source, necessary code, etc. Feasible? Where would I start?
Any feedback is greatly appreciated. I've never worked with Arduino before, but I do have a limited programming background and am not afraid of coding.
Sound potentially do-able. Have you found a suitable actuator on the net? Post a link to the specifications and people here will suggest how to interface with arduino. Sounds like a job for an attiny84/5 to me...
There are actuators available off the shelf that come with a wireless remote control and can be configured with stroke, speed etc. The ones I've seen have been big, heavy and (presumably) expensive devices but if you can find one within your budget that will fit your packaging constraints that would obviously be the easiest and most reliable solution. The DIY route is obviously feasible using a linear actuator, or a rotary actuator (such as a standard RC model servo) and a crank plus some form of radio transceiver. Choosing the actuator would be the first step, and I suggest that needs to be determined by travel, speed, force, cost and packaging constraints.