Curiosity Inspired Long Range Remote Vehicle - a project I want to get OCUK started on.

Over that kind of terrain I would plan around a tracked vehicle, you can get RC tanks easily but they do cost a bit more.

Used to play around quite a bit with off road 4x4's a while ago and they aren't fantastic through some types of terrain like tall grasses etc and can get bogged, you also want something (imho) that is fairly slow due to the nature of how it will be used.

Keeping it charged may also be fun.


check out fishpi.org as well.
 
dalin80 said:
Over that kind of terrain I would plan around a tracked vehicle, you can get RC tanks easily but they do cost a bit more.

Used to play around quite a bit with off road 4x4's a while ago and they aren't fantastic through some types of terrain like tall grasses etc and can get bogged, you also want something (imho) that is fairly slow due to the nature of how it will be used.

Keeping it charged may also be fun.


check out fishpi.org as well.
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Defo agree, in my mind it would move as fast as MSL. Maybe a few CM to a foot or so per day. I intend it to be as close a possible rover in terms of speed and cameras as MSL, of course not the scientific instruments, they would go as far as an advanced weather station perhaps (it would be a fun analogy to landing a rover on Titan for example, lots of cold, wind and rain to contend with – not -170c of course, but still well below freezing hopefully)

Hope this idea is cool :)
 
thinking about it, a tracked system would be the way to gofor ease of programming. electronic compass and just have it turn until the new vector matches the required. you would also need anti-rollover measures in place.

charging would be a chore, maybe taking a few days. you would have to work out a way to deploy a solar array. but its not toooo difficult.
 
Interesting idea, I'll follow this I think, good bit of techy fun.

Not sure I can really contribute towards it mind, I'm sure there are much more skilled persons here than myself in my field (software / website dev), but I'll follow none the less. :)

Once you've got a few people together on this make sure to create a website / blog for it.
 
SteveOBHave said:
Put me down but being in Aus I'm out of the time zone to be really useful. I do have some idea with where to get stuff though.
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Cool will do, expertise is just as useful as building something, in fact more so.

stuman said:
thinking about it, a tracked system would be the way to gofor ease of programming. electronic compass and just have it turn until the new vector matches the required. you would also need anti-rollover measures in place.

charging would be a chore, maybe taking a few days. you would have to work out a way to deploy a solar array. but its not toooo difficult.
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Yeah the more I think about it, im thinking a wind turbine would be the way to go, its ALWAYS blowing a strong gale in Snowdonia – also it will work at night. Anti-roll also important for wind power, but id also want to sit it low/wide as I could, similar to the Mars rover. Interestingly here is where it will get very interesting and a significant design change to MSL will be. There it has almost no atmosphere to contend with, here it’s our main power source,lol.
 
stuman said:
thinking about it, a tracked system would be the way to gofor ease of programming. electronic compass and just have it turn until the new vector matches the required. you would also need anti-rollover measures in place.

charging would be a chore, maybe taking a few days. you would have to work out a way to deploy a solar array. but its not toooo difficult.
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would tracks not risk getting clogged with mud etc?
 
ok, then a multi wheel design, 8 wheel or similar?

surly there are tracked designs which force mud away from the drive wheels etc in a track?
 
This sounds like it could be a lot of fun, I have a lot of experience with embedded microprocessors and wireless technology (mostly GSM and Bluetooth).

I also have a reasonable knowledge of electronics. If i dont know how to do something i know lots of people who do.

The company i work for designed all the control gear for these http://www.armortek.co.uk/ i could even lay my hands on a some of the controller gear.
 
I have absolutely no technical expertise or advice to give on something such as this.

I will however, be prepared to donate £25 to the cost of something for the project as long as the vehicle has a sticker of some sort on it that says 'Lucy Is Cool'.

:p
 
Cool I guess we will have to figure out what we need to know, I think the main jobs will be:

1) Hardware and electrical engineers
2) Software programmers – raspberry pi geniuses (possibly Atom boards?)
3) Software and radio techs for long distance radio control
4) Weather station and scientific payload bods
5) Cad designers – theoretical mathematicians and physicists ?


Anything else? Thinking design it online with shared folders and input until we have everything down to the T and then build it to exact specification – will take many weeks of designing I think but at least everyone can be involved :)
 
lucy_bee said:
I have absolutely no technical expertise or advice to give on something such as this.

I will however, be prepared to donate £25 to the cost of something for the project as long as the vehicle has a sticker of some sort on it that says 'Lucy Is Cool'.

:p
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Exactly what I was thinking :D

Maybe a trusted mod could hold an account for everyone to donate to and then that money be used for parts.

I thought of buying 2 IP cameras infra red, £60, full swivel Pan and tilt cams as well.

I guess were looking at a few hundred to build it.

£90 for say 3 cams
£35 rasperry pi
£200 wheels, drives, elec motors
£150 mini wind turbine or make one ourselfs
£100 misc
£100 shell materials

Not millions but a little.

Maybe OCUK would sponsor us for some of it :D
 
Combat squirrel said:
Cool I guess we will have to figure out what we need to know, I think the main jobs will be:

1) Hardware and electrical engineers
2) Software programmers – raspberry pi geniuses (possibly Atom boards?)
3) Software and radio techs for long distance radio control
4) Weather station and scientific payload bods
5) Cad designers – theoretical mathematicians and physicists ?


Anything else? Thinking design it online with shared folders and input until we have everything down to the T and then build it to exact specification – will take many weeks of designing I think but at least everyone can be involved :)
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Why would you want electrical engineers? planning on wiring it up to the mains?

You want electronic engineers, big difference :D
 
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