I'm making a private project where I'm building a ROV(remote operated vehicle) for underwater exploration/smaller tasks..
I haven't produced any parts for it atm. but I have 3D model most of it, and many of the parts is already lying around..
Through the University I'm at I have recently worked a little with the arduino UNO, and liked the way it works, so I decided to use that one as the "brain" of my ROV. I'm having several webcams a the eyes of the ROV and therefore need a computer on-shore. the webcams have USB connections, so has the UNO..
Before I was counting on just running several USB Wires from the ROV to the computer, but then I heard something about noise and bad signal conditions in general USB cables.. is this something people in here know about? have had problems with, and solved?
Or
Is it possible to connect the cam's to the UNO, which is on the ROW in the water, atm, and then communicate with the UNO in other ways that over the USB..
I though of having all the electronics on-shore, but that would give me allot of wires to run down to the ROW (got 4-6 modified bilge pumps, 3 cams (one IR), an manipulator with 4 servos and one steppe motor, a digital compass and a few light groups that should be able to turn on and of..).
wireless is not a options due to the operational depth (20-40m) and the range of operation I want.
Anyone have an idea of other ways to communicate with the UNO??
or just ideas to this project in general? maybe someone did a similar project? I'm open to suggestions:)
I really doubt you can connect a USB webcam to the UNO. The UNO has a "function" USB interface, just like the webcam. You have to connect a "function" to a "host", like a PCB. Or you could get a USB host shield:
Now that the connectivity part is cleared up, you still have a bandwidth issue to worry about. There is a LOT of data coming from a video stream. What are you going to do with the video? Just send it back up to a PC (if so, why do you need an UNO?)
USB cables do have a maximum length over which they can operate -- I think 6' is a practical limit though you can probably push this if necessary, or use a repeater.
It sounds like you are still at the conceptualization stage. It would be worthwhile to Google for similar projects first before getting in too deep (pun intended).
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The Rugged Motor Driver: two H-bridges, more power than an L298, fully protected
I really doubt you can connect a USB webcam to the UNO
would it be possible on any of the other arduino platforms?
Now that the connectivity part is cleared up, you still have a bandwidth issue to worry about. There is a LOT of data coming from a video stream. What are you going to do with the video? Just send it back up to a PC (if so, why do you need an UNO?)
The video is to be played live, and recorded for later use. but the main functions is so that you can see what you are doing with the ROW. the video does not necessary have to go over the UNO, it was just a though to lower the amount of wires going back and forth.
I have made similar projects before, but only onshore (a robot crawling op a metal plate with holes, using hocks (done with to kits from Phillips to run with master/slave as one of them) and for all of these I have been using a mc for controlling the system (thou one was controlled from an omron PLC)
I have done some research on other private ROW projects, some of the more simple just uses relays to turn motors on/off and have video feedback. Those I found that had, said nothing about how the communicate with it, (maybe it's just me being bad at researching)
The use of the ROW (if/when it is done) will be to inspection of ships, base of bridges, when ships are towed on/off shore on a slipway and minor tasks as removal of debris from ship propeller. My parents has a smaller ship craft in Denmark, and they have "asked" for something like this
maybe someone did a similar project? I'm open to suggestions:)