The Project

I'm starting this build blog to document my progress, as well as the problems I have encountered and their solutions during my project, in order to help others and collaborate.

The project has multiple phases planned, depending on how successful each phase is. The first phase is this:

• PC-based remote control;
• WASD keyboard controls
  
• video on-screen
• mouse camera control

Ideally also:

• full screen video and mouse
• with overlays
  
• battery level and lag overlay
• speed control
• protection logic eg auto shutoff when no signal received.
• smooth video even when travelling fast or rough
  
• upload code changes to arduino remotely
• a single power supply

At this point, all of the minimum features are working, and many of the ideal features! I have speed control (controlled with numbers 1 through 0), the car sends back the battery level every second, there is a latency-measuring method, and these are shown on the control program, although not an overlay. The circuit power (5V) runs off the car batteries which are 6V, but the camera has its own power because it wants 7-9V.

I am aware that it is not an original idea to put a camera on a car, nor to control it from a computer. The idea is a smooth game-style interface, and I have a much greater goal in mind which I don't want to reveal yet :) There is much more planned, I have 4 phases sketched out, and will describe them when I start them ;) I might start the next phase soon, while still solving some of the existing problems.

In building this, I have tried to use mostly off-the-shelf components, such as an existing RC car, rather than building from the ground up. A system designed for this specific purpose might perform better, but I just want to get something up and running. In some cases this is cheaper, or easier, or just makes it easier to reproduce. I don't have enough knowledge to build all the different parts, so I'd rather just try to interface them together.

I have implemented this essentially with an arduino (compatible) mounted on a breadboard, hacking into the existing circuit board on the car to control the speed and direction, using XBee series 2.5 2mW radios for communication. The arduino also controls two servos for the pan-tilt mechanism, which was built first by myself, then improved with help from Buzz from HSBNE. The camera is independent of the circuit, having its own antenna and power source, currently.

Here's my photo album for the car, starting with the original circuit and camera mount.

This project has been built with significant assistance and advice of the members of Hackerspace Brisbane, and built and tested at the space.

I'll post about some of the problems I've had so far, and new stuff as it happens!