The Wireless Missile Control Experience Pt 4

Well, in my last post I mentioned that I would like to add a couple of shelves above the control box for a laptop and a missile launcher.  What I did was add a second box identical to the control box.  This is the final result.

Overall View of myRobot.

Not the most attractive of robots I will admit but one very robust robot.  This guy comes into the ring at a whopping 95 lbs.   The drives are still capable of pushing this puppy around as in earlier videos and will still climb grades but care is require.  We now have a higher center of gravity.

Lower Deck, Drive Control and LAN Power Supply

The lower deck now houses the drive system, remote radio receiver and protection circuitry for myRobot.  The lid acts as a shelf for the battery/inverter that supplies 120 VAC to the LAN wireless router and if needed the laptop in the top deck.  You can see the remote receiver's blue antenna mast.

Inside Lower Deck

The wiring inside the lower deck has been changed slightly to allow for the addition of a fuse box.  This may be a very good idea, don't you think, with the weight of myRobot, and the current that the two lead acid batteries can supply mounted directly below.  There is a lot of power going on here.

New Radio Receiver Location

The radio receiver was relocated to keep the antenna feed as short as possible, feeding through the box and up the mast.

Second Deck Video and Fire Control

The second deck houses the laptop that controls video feed and missile fire control (to start ;-)  ). 

Here we see the wireless router that connects to the laptop inside, the primary video camera and the missile launcher with its own video for aiming.

HP Mini Laptop running Win 7

Inside we find the laptop, HP Mini running Win 7 Pro.  The control strategy here is to remote connect to this laptop from a remote laptop via MS Remote Desktop Connection programme available in Win 7 Pro, Windows Vista Pro and XP Pro.  The wireless router, Cisco Linksys, provides the private LAN connection between the remote laptop and myRobot's HP Mini.  Presently, the main video feed via USB and the missile launcher control and video feed again via USB feed into this laptop.  In future, I plan to include an embedded controller, EC1 offered by SPLat Controls to provide support functions like motor temperature, compass input, auxiliary control such as headlights, drive battery voltage levels and more and will be connected once again via USB and data display/control via their Windows SimpleHMI programme.  An Android phone app version can be downloaded into the phone and the same information displayed via BlueTooth.



The Remote Laptop connected to myRobot's HP Mini Via
MS Remote Desktop Connection programme

Now a demonstration video of myRobot.

This is it.  This pretty much ends myRobot.  My daughter-in-law is recovering quite nicely and my son has forgiven me.   Just in case you were wondering.  My wife, by the way, was my first kill.  If you have any questions or comments, sure, send me one.  If you want to know more about EC1, again.... give me a buzz.  As time permits, I may update this blog with EC1 projects. 

Thanks for your visit.  Take Care.