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Ride on rechargeable arduino controlled truck (RORACT)

Posted by papergeek 
Ride on rechargeable arduino controlled truck (RORACT)
October 01, 2013 06:42PM
Here's an idea I'm sure someone has already worked out in detail, and maybe this is not the place for it, but hear me out....

I spent USD $300 when my son was younger for a plastic ride-on battery powered yard toy. It consisted of basic steering, an "accelerator" which functioned as an intermittent on switch, 2 DC motors attached to the rear wheels, and a 12V sealed lead-acid battery.

For around the same amount I believe I could put together something with a plywood frame, dual direct DC motor drive, proportional acceleration, and charge management. The controller board (Arduino Uno or Mega with a motor controller shield) could allow parents to set the maximum speed. It could also be fitted with accelerometer and gyro to detect tipping, too-steep inclines, etc. and with ultrasound rangefinding to avoid obstacles (such as walls, kids etc).

It would need quite a few printed parts (housings, gears, etc) and would need some other parts as well:
Cut plywood
Steel axle rods
Rubber wheels
Seats

There are many options possible including putting servos on the steering with an engage / disengage mechanism and adding wireless communication (so it could also be used as a big R/C truck).

This would be a little heavier than the plastic ones which makes it slightly more of a ramming and tipping hazard, but I think anyone who'd let their younger kids drive these without close supervision might be asking for trouble.

The other thought I had that with remote options could include a remote emergency "kill switch" in case of trouble.

For me, part of the appeal of 3d printing is there is an ever-growing list of things that I no longer have to spend $20, $50 or more that are made in China. This is a larger item and serious weekend project to assemble but I think it could be pretty cool..
Re: Ride on rechargeable arduino controlled truck (RORACT)
December 04, 2013 02:26AM
If you know a 3D CAD (design) software, just draw it and have someone print it for you.


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Re: Ride on rechargeable arduino controlled truck (RORACT)
December 05, 2013 05:03PM
3d printing is not a problem - I can print all the parts I need. Design in FreeCAD is also not a problem. Basically the 3D printed parts would be motor housings, transmission, etc. Some of the transmission frame components would need to be plywood. Plywood could be laser-cut - the cutting laser I have right now is not powerful enough but good old fashioned power saws should work fine.

This is on the back burner for me currently but the main issues are designing the Arduino controlled charge management circuitry and generally taking advantage of the available electronics. The other thing is figuring out the best way to handle safety issues (tipping hazard, mostly) but I can also use accelerometer and gyro feedback to detect and avoid steep inclines.

LED working turn signals, headlights and brake lights would also be cool. There are definitely some custom circuit boards involved but powered by Arduino.
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