Electronics [success!] computer driven remote-controlled car

good call on that one. i'm thinking i might order a few of these
http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=search&item=RLY-634&type=store
look right?

i think my problem right now might be that my batteries have worn down. primarily the one the runs the relays. i'm still a little confused with the confusing behavior of the reverse drive circuits, but without good batteries, i don't really know that they don't work. i should find out within a few days. is there a way i could run this off of my computer's power supply? like use the 12v line with a resistor? just curious

-agent

 

I'm sure you probably drained the batteries since the relay was always closed, putting a constant drain on them. I don't know if running it from your computer with a resistor would be the best choice. You could build up a 9-volt regulator with something like a LM09 (I think that's the right number) and run that from the computer or just get a 9 volt wall adapter from Walmart (I would have said radio shack, but didn't want you to have to spend a bagillion dollars )

 

I actually tutored a uni subject and the team was making remote controlled cars that could be controlled by a computer - also the cars were fitted with some wirless cameras that sent the signal back to the pc.

We used EZIO devices to control the relays for the cars.

Im not sure where exactly to get them but im sure youd find it if you google it.

Paul

 

cannon, what kind of wireless camera did you use?

 

i think i got the setup working using the 9vdc 2.5amp power supply i bought for my robotic arm. it seems, however, that my car's internal batteries are dead! [and wouldn't you know it, i left the charger at my dad's] i should be able to run a good test tonight.

do those other relays look like exactly what i want? i'm gonna have to throw down $10 to get them and i'm trying to save as much money as i can with college move-in in two weeks.

cannon, any info on the wireless camera would be appreciated

-agent

 

just found this camera for $35 online. very tempting
http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=203C-50MW-N&cat=VID

 

well, my rears were soldered on the correct pin, but it was bad [i think i nuked the solder that connected to the controller's circuitboard] i can drive it now, but the car's batteries are low, so i have to hold off on a video [and i might wait until i get back to my dad's house. wood floors, you know ]

thanks for everyone's help, you'll probably get props in the clip. now i just have to somehow end up with $30 to buy a wireless camera with

 

I am anxious to see how this turns out!
Your project reminds me of the Desktop Rover, which is a PC controlled tank I saw on a newscast some time back.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/cubegoodies/toys/5776/

It's always much more fun to create your own toys though

 

blah

i went to make a video and screwed up with the microphone about 4 times. i'm taking all my stuff to my dad's tonight [weekly ritual] or tomorrow, and i'll make a little video on his good hard wood floors then. if you're lucky i might go out to radioshack tonight and get a parallel port cable that doesn't have a printer end. if that's the case, i can drive much more naturally with the side buttons on my joystick [as opposed to this setup:
F1: right forward
F2: left forward
F3: right reverse
F4: left reverse]

we'll see

 

alright guys

http://www.invictuscomplex.net/agent/rccam2.wmv

there's the little video for ya.

thanks!

 

Great job!!
It was really neat to see it up and running (had to hold my 4-year old up to the computer because he wanted to see it too). My audio card is horrible, so it was kind of hard to hear the audio as to the software you used to interface to the parallel port, but looked great. Thanks for the credit by the way,

 

Thats awsome how about a guide ?? PLEASE i have a STACK of RC cars and would love to be able to do this

 

MEEEE write a GUIDE?!

weeeeeird

maybe tomorrow

 

i decided to hold off on ordering new parts. i'm trying to save for college spending [movies and whatnot] and another $20 for something that already works seems unnecessary. i think i might try to write a guide, it wasn't that hard overall, and i would be able to give links to parts on allelectronics.com

SWEET

oh, and the software is called 'relais timer'
http://www.kemo-electronic.de/download/RelaisTimer11.exe
that should be it

 

i got it working with my computer and my joystick. i don't drive with the stick, mind you, because the car uses 2 independant wheels. if i was using a car with 1. a throttle 2. a x axis control and 3. a y axis control [which would be sweet, i definately could control by joystick, but i'd also need more sophisticated circuitry. instead i use the side buttons and the throttle [explained below]

i use 2 buttons on the left and 2 on the right. the inner buttons correspond to the forward direction on whichever side i'm using [so i let go with my index fingers and it drives forward. put those back and let go with my middle fingers and it reverses]. like i've said many times, i bought normally closed relays and as such i have to hold all four buttons down in "hold mode" [as opposed to toggle] to keep it still. this has its benefits, though, because my car is extremely fast i think i react more quickly this way. i also set up the throttle because i can reach it with either thumb and, set up on the up and down arrow, i can switch from "hold" to "toggle" mode, which is necessary because i can't take my hand off the joystick to stop the program.

it would be really nice to mount one of those cameras, and they sure are cheap, but i think i would be better off saving so i can go to movies with my new friends once college starts.

on that kemo website there's an older program somewhere called ksi_winall [the installer] and it has a bit that lets you program animations. i know the new software is supposed to be an upgrade and should have something similar, but i haven't figured it out just yet.

later days
agent

 

i figured out how to do "animations" in the new version [relais timer 1.1, i think] and did one so the car makes a right turn around my couch, goes forward a tad, and makes a left turn, only to go forward some more. i would've kept going, but the car is so fast it's hard for me to be precise while taking into account a +-30 milliseconds [by the program/computer]

my animation:



still, though, it's cool to watch. one of my friends is giving me a car with this kind of controller:



--------
i forgot to post before my friend dropped it up, so here's an "update"

i got the car, and it runs on THE SAME FREQUENCIES. yeah, i'm frickin excited. i can already drive it!

more to come
-agent

 

ok, what i meant by the differences between the cars is pretty self explanatory with this image:



that's why i think i can drive by joystick. now i just need to get the new relays so they toggle on and not off...

this page is the page on my website devoted to this project. so you don't have to go over to see the pictures, here's the car

 

yeah, so the relays are on their way. should be here any day now



excellent!

 

looks cool

 

This is a fun project. I've been doing it for the last 5 years starting in high school. Of course my highschool electronics class was a joke. i had a 486 running dos to drive the thing, so i wrote code in Qbasic to control it. We used 8 tip120's transitor to drive 8 relays. We wired 2 in a pair to do reversing , so we could drive 4 motors without a transmitter. Then we did just the relays to control a wireless transmitter. It's alot of fun, and is easy. I can probably pull up a schematic for anyone who wants one. Great job on the one you did so far. Hope to see more vids of other peoples.