I am looking to build an installation piece involving lightbulbs that can be raised, and dropped (with a catch and release mechanism). I have attached a few basic idea of what I believe I require for this build (using the reel of a fishing rod as the raise and release mechanism). I am assuming to use two servo motors (separately powered) . One to raise the bulb at a range of speeds, and one to operate the release mechanism. In addition to this I wish to power the bulb on and off and possibly control brightness. I have a bit of prior experience with MaxMSP and had hoped to control these elements in real time, running a few of these contraptions next to each other.
This will be my first time using Arduino & I was intending on purchasing the Arduino UNO Rev3. My question is would this board be suitable to use for this application / and would it be capable of controlling all three devices at once?
For the drop release, a spring-return solenoid or R/C servo would be fine… release and return.
For the ‘reel-in’ motor, a DC servo ‘motor’ with a driver transistor would do the job, but not an R/C ‘servo’ - because of the limited range of motion, and fixed speed.
You probably should add some ‘elastic’ or spring/clutch element, so the dropped weight doesn’t shock the mechanicals too much.
Yes, for what you're doing, the Uno will be fine. However, I generally prefer the Nano because the Uno is pretty damn big for what it provides. Nano has the same capability but in a much smaller and generally less expensive package.
As an answer to your question: Yes, it is more than sufficient.... BUT you need some extra hardware (drivers) to power the motors and solenoids.
What is the workingvoltage of the lamp? If it is a 115/230Vac, you can use a small Solidstate Relay (SSR)
If you programmed the 328P you can place it on a piece of breadboard, together with a crystal, a resistor (10k RESET) and two 12p or 22p(matching the crystal), saving your Arduino Uno..
