Joystick Controlled Model Car - Activities to Be Undertaken for the Project - Business Plan Example

Logo) and Project Joystick Controlled Model Car November 7, Background Theory and Research Traditional motion devices relied on manual control where speed and direction were manipulated directly using mechanisms attached to the moving parts. However not all machines can be controlled manually in this way due to either extreme conditions in which they operate or the amount of time and strength needed during operation. Technological advancements yielded a reliable solution through the invention of the microcontroller. Its ability to be programmed meant that the control mechanism could be separated from the mechanical mechanism that perform the actual motion. Microcontrollers however require an external device to provide the desired input action which the microcontroller interprets to generate a corresponding action signal to the moving parts of the system. Currently numerous remote controlled devices exist on the market with different control methods ranging from mounted, wired to radio control devices. Control action in this motion devices is generated from either joysticks, trackballs or touchpads. Implementation of this on a smaller scale is exhibited in toy cars, helicopters, wall climbers and other play things for children. The variety of these items on sale on sites like Alibaba.com indicate that they are in high demand and thus use. The story of disabled six-year old boy, Ethan, at CanAssist who received a custom made joystick controlled car toy demonstrates how significant toys have become in the development cycle of children. The scope of application of this model is not only limited to toys but also finds great use in real cars and robots. Joakim Ostlund reports that Sweden had about 16 cars equipped with joysticks on its roads as at 1999. He adds that though these cars are best suited for people with disabilities, they are currently being used by normal people. Mobile applications like the iDriver that converts the iPhone into a virtual car controller further shows how wide the concept of remote controlling has been adapted (Moore, 2009). Active research is undergoing in effort to develop systems that have better control mechanisms using joysticks. Contemporary joysticks offer proportional control where its movement corresponds to the action performed by the controlled device (Diciano, 2011). This technique has accuracy issues and is thus not suitable in creating systems for people with disabilities. The future promises intelligent joysticks called isometric joysticks (IJs) that sense force exerted on them rather than changing position to achieve control. Robots with mounted IJs are being developed to mimic the bipedal abilities of humans (Chestnutt, et al). Similar efforts have been made in neuro-engineering to evaluate electromyography (EMG), force and joysticks as controlled interfaces for active arm support (Lobo-prat et al). Project Requirements and Objectives This project aims at building a model that typifies a remote controlled system implementing most of the basic features of such a system. It seeks not only to satisfy the academic requirements of this institution but also to create a well performing model that can be sold as a toy. The model uses a wired joystick that controls a toy car by sending speed and direction signals to a mounted microcontroller. The microcontroller sends its output signals to a steering servo and propulsion motor(s) that determine direction and speed of the car respectively. To achieve effective control over movement, rear wheels of the car shall be driven jointly by a single motor. Requirements Analysis The control device shall be a joystick which will determine the direction and speed of the toy car. It is the device that the user of the car will interact with directly. Basically it contains the control head that is moved forward, backward, left and right so as to induce a similar motion in the car. This project picks on a PS2 Joystick Game Controller that can be interfaced with an Arduino board. It is a low power device that uses 5V supply and gives readout voltage of 2.5V which increases to 5V on forward press and reducing to 0V on backward press (eBay). A microcontroller shall be the signal processing and final control component. A joystick is not intelligent enough to command the steering servo and propulsion motor directly. The microcontroller serves to interpret signals from the joystick and sends them to the steering servo and propulsion motors as required. Arduino Uno USB Microcontroller Rev 3 is a general purpose microcontroller board used for robotics available online at Amazon.co.ku. It is the preferred option for this implementation due to its affordable price and the number of I/O pins: 14 digital and 6 analog pins. Arduino also provides an open source IDE with which to program the controller and provides sufficient documentation on how to interface it with other devices. The USB port enables connection to the PC for loading the program and initial testing. A steering servo is needed to alter the angle of the front wheels of the car in order to attain movement to different directions. Its tilt is mapped to the angle of tilt of the joystick through the microcontroller circuit. A single steering servo will be attached to a steering rod that has front wheels attached to it. Steering unit basically consists of a steering servo motor, linkage rod and a steering servo saver (Eglowstein, 2014). This project will utilize a single positional rotational servo available at Amazon as BSD 3kg High Torque Steering Servo Nitro Models RC Buggy at an affordable price. A DC motor is required to propel the car forward and backward. The propulsion motor will be used to drive rear wheels of the car. Essentially, one Micro DC Geared Motor with Back Shaft is used to drive the rear wheels sold at eBay. It is the best option because it is cheap, can be powered from the very board and this type is readily available. The fact that it already has a back shaft onto which the two rear wheels are connected makes it even more convenient. A housing for the components is also needed and can still be purchased or assembled locally from old toy cars. Project Plan The Gantt chart below shows the major activities to be undertaken together with their expected deadlines. It also highlights the milestones to be attained at given times. Fig.1.0. Gantt Chart for the project designed using SmartSheet at http://app.smartsheet.com Note: Bold entries indicate the milestones Project Cost PS2 Joystick Game Controller for Arduino -£3.89 (eBay) Arduino Uno Microcontroller Rev 3 (Starter Kit) - £10.54 (Amazon) BSD 3kg High Torque Steering Servo Nitro Models RC Buggy - £10.99 (Amazon) Micro DC Geared Motor with Back Shaft - £5.50 (eBay) Total approximate cost – £30.92 Risk Analysis Proper circuitry should be done because components like microcontrollers on the Arduino board can easily blow out. The control of the device does not guarantee 100% response besides the angle to which the steering wheels can tilt is also limited. Method of Working In order to achieve the stated objectives, the following activities shall be undertaken. Information gathering will be done by extensive reading of existing literature on this subject and active consultation with subject instructors. Internet will be a great addition to this through its unlimited resources; articles, PDF documents, tutorials and videos. Experimentation is an inevitable aspect in any electronic project and thus will be actively done. Completed modules shall be tested to ascertain proper functionality before proceeding to other tasks. Most importantly would be the examination of existing projects and ongoing research in the field so as to develop a model that exhibits current technologies. References Alibaba.com. Joystick radio remote control car. [WWW]. Retrieved from http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/joystick-radio-remote-control-car.html [Accessed 5 November 2014] CanAssist. Remote control car modification. [WWW]. Retrieved from http://www.canassist.ca/EN/main/programs/technologies-and-devices/sports/remote-control-car-modification.html [Accessed 5 November 2014] Chestnutt, J. et al. Intelligent joystick for biped control. [PDF]. Carnegie Mellon University. Retrieved from http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~pmichel/publications/IntelligentJoystick.pdf [Accessed 5 November 2014] Diciano, B. et al. (2009). Joystick use for virtual power wheelchair driving in individuals with tremor. [WWW]. Retrieved from http://www.rehab.research.va.gov/jour/09/46/2/dicianno.html [Accessed 5 November 2014] eBay. Micro DC geared motor with back shaft. [WWW]. Retrieved from http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Micro-DC-Geared-Motor-with-Back-Shaft-/141466820894?pt=UK_ToysGames_RadioControlled_JN&hash=item20f014611e [Accessed 21 November 2014] eBay. New joystickbreakout module shield PS2 joystick game controller for Arduino. [WWW]. Retrieved from http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JoyStick-Breakout-Module-Shield-PS2-JoyStick-Game-Controller-For-Arduino-NEW-/261468139157?pt=AU_B_I_Electrical_Test_Equipment&hash=item3ce0b72e95 [Accessed 7 November 2014] Eglowstein, M. (2014). Introduction to servo motors. [WWW]. Retrieved from http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/Robotics_ServoMotors.shtml [Accessed 7 November 2014] Lobo-prat, J. et al. (2014). Evaluation of EMG, force and joystick as control interfaces for active arm supports. [WWW] Retrieved from http://www.jneuroengrehab.com/content/11/1/68 [Accessed 6 November 2014] Moore, M. (2009). iDriver app allows motorists to control car using iPhone. Telegraph, Oct 26. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/6437597/iDriver-app-allows-motorists-to-control-car-with-an-iPhone.html Ostlund, J. (1999). Joystick-controlled cars for drivers with severe disabilities. [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.vti.se/en/publications/pdf/joystick-controlled-cars-for-drivers-with-severe-disabilities.pdf [Accessed 5 November 2014] Amazon.co.uk. Arduino Uno USB microcontroller Rev 3. [WWW]. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.co.uk/Compatible-Development-Board-16MHz-USB2-0/dp/B00H538Z34/ref=sr_1_1?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1416517967&sr=1-1&keywords=usb+arduino+uno+rev+3 [Accessed 7 November 2014] Amazon.co.uk. Steering servo. [WWW]. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_fb_0_12?url=search-alias%3Dtoys&field-keywords=steering+servo&sprefix=steering+ser%2Cdiy%2C412&rh=n%3A468292%2Ck%3Asteering+servo SmartSheet.com Inc. (2014), Smartsheet online, [Software], n.v, Washington. Available at https://app.smartsheet.com/b/home Read More