I am working on a research project to have a robot create upright forms for pouring concrete. It uses several components (large, wooden building blocks weighing about 30lbs a piece) to create a form for concrete to be poured into.
Each component has to be controlled using its own Arduino Due. The Arduino most be able to operate a DC industrial servo, and have a wireless communication to a computer (As to link all the components together). Is this feasible? and if so can someone point me in the right direction as to how to make them communicate to the computer.
Can you describe - perhaps with diagrams - the movements that are required?
Please provide a link to the datasheet for the industrial servo.
It sounds like you are plannning several autonomous machines.
How many?
And what is going to tell them what to do?
How much data will need to be transmitted by wireless?
How often?
I picked the Due because, in the case I need to, expand upon the what components are attached to the Arduino.
The only movement is a approximate 257 degree rotation. As the robot itself rotates, more and more torque will need to be handled by the servo. This occurs because of the added weight of each component that will rotate.
We are planning on having 9 components that act as one. The tentative plan is to have hard wired connection to start with then go to a wireless configuration.
I am planning on using a arduino esplora linked with a computer to control the component.
The Data that will need to be transmitted varies. When the concrete is pouring, the only data that needs to be transmitted is: the amount of concrete in the storage, the trigger to start pouring concrete and when to stop, and rotation of each component. We also want this to possible move in the future, ether by wheel or by crawling.
It will happen maybe once every two hours or so, Given the time needed for the concrete to set.
Please ask any further questions if necessary. Thanks.
I hope you haven't invested heavily in the Due - I don't think it is a good choice. It works on 3.3v but most of the Arduino add-ons are designed for the Uno and Mega which work at 5v.
That motor is not what is generally referred to here as a servo. That word usually means the sort of hobby servo used to control flying model aircraft.
An Arduino with a suitable h-bridge motor driver can certainly control a gear motor. But there is no position control as there is with a hobby servo or a stepper motor.
Your description is still too vague. Please provide a diagram of the machine you are proposing to build. I can't envisage how it is supposed to work.
Also you have not given any indication of the sort of control commands that will be needed or how many bytes of data need to transfer while the devices are in motion.
I can't see any reason why it shouldn't be possible. After all, if theres a computer in the mix, that can do all the heavy duty decision making. The arduino merely needs to take commands and control motors.
Although it would be a somewhat original application, G-code could hold the answer.
BTW I agree with Robin. You've selected the wrong tool for the job. I think you'd be better off with a Mega. Plenty of IO pins to provide feedback etc..
I haven't invested in any parts as of yet. I will defiantly consider the Mega (I was under the impression that the Due was just an evolution of the Mega). Will the Mega work with a Wifi Shield from Arduino (URL: Arduino Official Store | Boards Shields Kits Accessories)?
I will get pictures as soon as possible!
Would a stepper motor be a better choice for this application?
Another Question is the compatibility of the Arduino Esplora with the Arduino Mega. Can Esplora be used to control a mega board? Can it control a board wirelessly? Can it control a board through a wired contection?
Are they compatible?
Thanks, W
The servo is not a problem as the power does not come from the arduino but from else where and the control signal will be 5v and just the same as any servo
Using the due however is a poor choice the Yun which has built in WiFi and E-net would be a much more cost effective solution. A Yun costs less than a Due + WiFi and it has far more processing power!
whitey:
I haven't invested in any parts as of yet. I will defiantly consider the Mega (I was under the impression that the Due was just an evolution of the Mega). Will the Mega work with a Wifi Shield from Arduino (URL: Arduino Official Store | Boards Shields Kits Accessories)?
I will get pictures as soon as possible!
Would a stepper motor be a better choice for this application?
You are trying to run before you can walk.
You need to give us full information about your mechanical project before we can give sensible answers to your Arduino questions.
How could I say whether a stepper would be suitable when all I know is that something has to turn through approximately 257 deg. (Approx and 257 don't sit well together in my mind)
For all I know an Uno (or even a much cheaper and smaller Arduino) would be sufficient and I have no idea whether wifi (which requires an expensive shield) would add any value. I don't get the impression that the individual units have any significant processing requirement. Maybe the "central" or "master" unit will carry the processing load. Maybe even the master won't have much of a load.
Actually, I don't even know that the separate pieces each need their own Arduino.
Describe what you want to do, not how you think it might be achieved.
holmes4:
The servo is not a problem as the power does not come from the arduino but from else where and the control signal will be 5v and just the same as any servo
Using the due however is a poor choice the Yun which has built in WiFi and E-net would be a much more cost effective solution. A Yun costs less than a Due + WiFi and it has far more processing power!
Greensprings:
why do you need more than one arduino?
Each of the components must be waterproof. If there is a way for 9+ separate sealed parts can communicate and operate with one Arduino, that would be great. I was thinking of keeping them separate to make sure the components were sealed.
Robin2:
You are trying to run before you can walk.
You need to give us full information about your mechanical project before we can give sensible answers to your Arduino questions.
How could I say whether a stepper would be suitable when all I know is that something has to turn through approximately 257 deg. (Approx and 257 don't sit well together in my mind)
For all I know an Uno (or even a much cheaper and smaller Arduino) would be sufficient and I have no idea whether wifi (which requires an expensive shield) would add any value. I don't get the impression that the individual units have any significant processing requirement. Maybe the "central" or "master" unit will carry the processing load. Maybe even the master won't have much of a load.
Actually, I don't even know that the separate pieces each need their own Arduino.
Describe what you want to do, not how you think it might be achieved.
...R
Sorry for the long delay. I was on break.
The goal is to have a autonomous system, that is able to deploy in a remote area with little or no human interaction on site, and be able to pour concrete molds. The component are about three feet long, six inches wide, and a one foot tall. Each component will need to rotate and position itself to create the form in which the concrete will pour into.
The molds can be anything from a simple house for relief efforts, to a more complex object like a tunnel or bridge, that needs to hold a significant amount of weight.
KenF:
I can't see any reason why it shouldn't be possible. After all, if theres a computer in the mix, that can do all the heavy duty decision making. The arduino merely needs to take commands and control motors.
Although it would be a somewhat original application, G-code could hold the answer.
BTW I agree with Robin. You've selected the wrong tool for the job. I think you'd be better off with a Mega. Plenty of IO pins to provide feedback etc..
Is there anyway to have a program that inputs G-code and spits out code for an arduino?
This would be in the case that the professor would like to take a 3D model (say from rhino, inventor, etc...) and convert it into a signal that the components can interpret and take the shape of the 3D model. This could be similar to what a 3D router can do.
I don't feel you have added any significant extra information. I just can't envisage what you are talking about. How far might they have to move, how will they move, how will they be fixed in place to hold heavy concrete? Will they just move in 2 dimensions on a flat surface or will they need to stack to make higher things. I can't remember if you said what is the maximum number of sections?
Sorry - I hadn't seen your picture when I wrote the above. Truthfully, now I am even more confused. What is the picture showing? I had in mind several simple pieces each basically the shape of a concrete block that would line up to create a hollow mould into which concrete would be poured. Can you post a few rough drawings to illustrate the system?
Presumably somebody will have to remove the concrete pieces after they are hardened? Why can't that person align the moulds?
"weighing about 30lbs a piece" and "DC industrial servo" are two important pieces of your project. How much $$$ do you have to spend? What types of physical mechanical movements does the robot have to make to make the forms? Lack of specific details may prompt suggestions that send you in a wrong direction.
zoomkat:
"weighing about 30lbs a piece" and "DC industrial servo" are two important pieces of your project. How much $$$ do you have to spend? What types of physical mechanical movements does the robot have to make to make the forms? Lack of specific details may prompt suggestions that send you in a wrong direction.
The budget is not specified; although a group that tired this before spent quite a bit (Around $500).
We need to have the each one of those components (see picture) to articulate on the previous component.
Does this help? I am still trying to get more videos/pictures from the professor. Thanks.
