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Stealthbot

Hey everyone, I was hoping you could help me out in parts selection. Please keep in mind that although I've been playing around for them for a while, I'm still pretty green in electronics. I want to make a stealth/rc surveillance robot, and add some autonomous behavious later on. Now, I warn you, this is something that I've dreamed up in some of my more bored moments in the cubicle farm.

The trick of it is that it needs to be under .5in thick in order to slip under the gap of cubicles at my workplace, and possibly as short as I need it to be.. I've got an idea for some low-rez b/w video that I'll be expirimenting with here soon. What I'm not sure is the locomotion.

I'm considering a set of Tamiya tank treads using the smaller sprockets, but I've heard that the Tamiya motors are pretty noisy. I've seen some small looking motors/gearboxes at Pololu, and some even smaller ones here:

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Anyone have any better expirience with these are far as noise, or any better suggestions?

Lonlaz

Reply to
Lonlaz
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I suspect that a regular DC motor and gearbox will not be viable for you. Cassette tape players often used a very quiet motor, and a belt to drive the mechanism. You can use the larger pulley as the wheel, with the belt actually providing the traction surface.

Joe Dunfee

Reply to
cadcoke5

I've been crunching numbers, it it looks like if the motor is too high rpm I'd need an unwieldy reduction system. I've only got .5" to work with, I'm guessing I'd end up having to go from .25 to .5 several times for each motor to get somewhere around 50 rpm. This is where I just don't have the experience, I guess I should just start experimenting. Can PWM run a motor at a low enough speed and provide sufficient torque (I'm guessing not, or else you'd see a lot more robots without gear boxes). I'm going to do some google research on miniature stepper motors.

L> I suspect that a regular DC motor and gearbox will not be viable for

Reply to
Lonlaz

Well, the other option is to use very small wheels to solve the gearing problem....

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Reply to
Curt Welch

Hmmm... have you considered the legality of this? I mean, if I were to look down at the floor and see a mobile camera looking up at me, my first reaction would be to stomp it to pieces, and then sue the pants off of whoever objected to this destruction as well as the company I was working for, for invasion of privacy and anything else my lawyer could come up with to boot. And I'm a guy... I wear pants, not skirts... so I'd think my reaction would be the calmer one.

But hey... maybe that's just me.

Reply to
SumGie

I hadn't really considered the moral issues when I replied. I had been considering the design of a catalult capable of precise aiming in the office to send wads of paper to co-workers. I guess I originally thought of the robot in the same line.

But, if the OP is even thinking of doing anything along the immoral lines... you have what's coming to you!

Joe Dunfee

Reply to
cadcoke5

Well, you do have a point. I'll take the chances. I know I'm not trying to get away with anything especially since where I'm at, there are very few females, and even less who wear skirts. Also, I've already settled on 32x32x4 video, just enough for remote navigation. Thanks for the warning, anyway. :)

L> Hmmm... have you considered the legality of this? =A0I mean, if I were to= look

Reply to
Lonlaz

Catapults are cool, I don't think I have enough ceiling height on my floor to really nail someone :)

I think the Pervbot is beyond my engineering (hah!) expertise. Besides, I'd never be able to get away with it, I've got a reputation for over-contrived trickery. When life's problems get too easy, you have to come up with more difficult solutions. :)

L> >

Reply to
Lonlaz

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