Hello, this is my first time ever posting. Oh, and I am young can’t tell you exact age because I would get into trouble. Ha ha. I will get straight to the point. I need help with something about I want to make, obviously. Wait just hang with me because i want to quickly tell u how this idea came into my head. So I was sitting in a car driving on a 6 hour drive somewhere when I saw a guy holding a camera then a phone station with a solar panel and then a guy holding an rc car remote and an idea came into my head! What if I could make a toy car with a mini camera, rechargeable batteries, solar panel, a car chassis (that by the way is the first time I have used that word, hooray!) with an arduino (or raspberry pi but I don’t have that, yet) and other gps components so then I could make it travel long distances to places we can’t go and live feed the camera footage to me. Of course, the wifi connection could be cellular like SIM card data, if U know what I mean or if you have any alternates. Oh, and maybe I could remote feed it locations? Ok, ok this is just my dream but I would love to make this someone’s inspiration or if this really is too much then many strip down some elements and give me an alternate. Please reply!!!
P.s if you are wondering I needed to say I was young so you wouldn’t get technical with me but wait! Be as technical as you want, as there is always google, me old and loyal friend, while keeping in mind that I can’t buy expensive things! But still mention what expensive thing just in case you r underestimating my expense range! Okay this has gone on for too long already. Bye!!!!!!
The way to start this is to pick out one small simple part of the project and get that working. Maybe get an Arduino Uno and a small electric motor and a motor driver module (or a motor shield) and learn how to make the motor move at different speeds and forward and reverse.
Just like all learning, it starts with a foundation -- and since your idea involves a variety of technologies, you'll need a knowledge foundation in same variety.
Learn about RC:
1: suspension and chassis (this will impact your camera stability)
2: power storage and propulsion (this will impact range)
3: controls, telemetry and radio transmission (impacts almost everything)
Learn basic electronics:
4: components
5: circuits
6: board layout
Learn microcontrollers:
7: digital and analog control basics
8: programming
None of the above are expensive to learn. There are entire free sites (like this one) devoted to every aspect mentioned.
You'll need very few dollars, but much curiosity, energy and discipline. You can do this. Young is the perfect place to start.
I completely agree with the last two posts. There is a lot to learn but it can be done and it can be fun if you set yourself up to succeed, rather than fail. Break the project down into realistic steps as suggested by Robin2 then you will enjoy building on your successes.
You have told us you are young, but you have not told us what experience you have and what equipment and help you have available. Do you have any programming or electronics experience? Do you have an Arduino? Do you have any components relevant to the project? Can you use a soldering iron? Is there anybody who can help you?
Step 1 in a good design project. Set down exactly what you are trying to do in a clear and straightforward way.
Ditch the chat about youth, poverty, where you were when the idea arrived and all the bad jokes and just provide the details of the project. Preferably in short bullet points:
No personal stuff
No junk about how the idea came to you
No more bad "jokes"
Just project details please
If you spend more time thinking about what it is you want to achieve and how you might go about it and a lot less time trying to make yourself sound interesting and/or clever success is more likely to be yours.
Thank you everybody for replies, they have been appreciated greatly! I have some experience with coding, electronics etc.Those things are where my interests lie. I will look into the things u guys wrote about. Yes, I have an Arduino. I have also explored the workings of the motor driver shield so I can use that. I also have an esp8266 module and am fairly experienced in that, I don't have the Ethernet shield. I also know a fair quantity of C and java. I am also knowledgeable in electronics, more than I should be anyway. Thanks again.
slipstick:
Step 1 in a good design project. Set down exactly what you are trying to do in a clear and straightforward way.
Ditch the chat about youth, poverty, where you were when the idea arrived and all the bad jokes and just provide the details of the project. Preferably in short bullet points:
No personal stuff
No junk about how the idea came to you
No more bad "jokes"
Just project details please
If you spend more time thinking about what it is you want to achieve and how you might go about it and a lot less time trying to make yourself sound interesting and/or clever success is more likely to be yours.
Steve
Thank you for that Steve. I have little knowledge about these online forums and didn't know that you had to be like this when submitting an idea into the forum and if I ever post again I will keep those idea in mind.
Also a good subject line that tells what you need help with - just asking for urgent help tends to turn many people off - by definition almost everyone posting here wants help in some with with some sort of project - urgent demands tend to turn people way off
