I am making a hovercraft project for my capstone class in my electronics program and I intend to use an arduino to control the project wirelessly. I have an arduino uno, a servo for rutter movement, and I intend to purchase two motors for lift and propulsion. I want to control it wirelessly but I do not know the easiest process of doing so. Do I need two arduino unos with XBee's mounted on top? Can both motors and servo be controlled by one arduino? Can I control the hovercraft wirelessly using a wireless controller similar to a RC remote or PS3 looking controller? I was also advised on using Bluetooth. I know I need my comm port number but other than that I do not know what that will entail. Also, where do I find a suitable program that follows the functions I am looking for? Thank you for any responses.
a servo for rutter movement
Your hovercraft has a rutter?
I want to control it wirelessly but I do not know the easiest process of doing so.
Get off the "easiest" track. Get on the "best" track.
Define how much data you need to send. Define how critical it is that data not be lost. Define the range. Define how much you want to spend.
Do I need two arduino unos with XBee's mounted on top?
The PC end, if that is what is controlling the hovercraft, does not need an Arduino. If there is something else controlling the hovercraft, maybe.
Can both motors and servo be controlled by one arduino?
Yes.
Can I control the hovercraft wirelessly using a wireless controller similar to a RC remote or PS3 looking controller?
Why not just buy the proper equipment - an RC transmitter and receiver? What is the Arduino going to be doing? Nothing that I can tell.
I was also advised on using Bluetooth.
Tell your "adviser" to take a hike.
Also, where do I find a suitable program that follows the functions I am looking for?
You write them. That's why you chose this project, remember?
Your hovercraft has a rutter?
Most do. That's how you steer them.
Sounds fun.
Have you searched around google & RC sites for ideas?
Are you planning to control it "manually" like most RC vehicles, from a computer, or some kind of pre-programmed "autopilot" scenario?
Very, very basic but foundation building:
https://www.sparkfun.com/tutorials/348
Good luck. Get onto some of the RC boards with Arduino (Google).
Ray
1ChicagoDave:
Your hovercraft has a rutter?
Most do. That's how you steer them.
You steer them with a sexually active male? That's news to me. I thought they were steered with a rudder.
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Who's brother?
I appreciate the comments and feedback even though some have been negative feedback. Atm in the process I have a servo, a 3s 11.1V lithium ipo battery, two 8x4 props, the base, and skirt. So now im looking at purchasing as XBee for wireless communication from my computer, a motor shield so the servo and the two motors can be controlled, two brushless kv motors ranging from 11-1400. Any comments and/or opinions I would greatly appreciate it to save myself from breaking the bank.
xbees will do well, but in my opinion, they are just too expensive. I would recommend some 433MHz RF transmitter/receivers. some good ones are the RFM12B, they have a 150m range and are like $6 on ebay or a RFM69HW if you want some serious range, something like 400m. There is a board called the moteino that has these RF chips built in. here is the link http://lowpowerlab.com/blog/category/moteino/