Computer controlled wheel chair or pram

[jasjit]

Hello guys
Im totally new to this stuff and looking forward to work on it please help if you could...
I went to my professor for the same, she said that it can be done using parallel port programming or serial port...
But i don't know how to do it... can you please help how can i get started on that i think i need to learn parallel programming first? how hard is it...(i did study c and c++ earlier..if that helps)...

She said that you can use crystal antennas for some range (say 30m)...im planning to place two motors on the wheels and then use the computer to control its motion...
Please suggest any alternative method if you know some...
And sorry if i posted a wrong thread please don't delete it...

 

[Mech_Engineer]

What you're hoping to do is no more complex than building a remote-control robot. I would suggest buying a remote-control robot kit, and upgrading the components to allow it to drive more powerful motors.

Here are a couple of good hobbyist-level sites for robot-building supplies and kits:

http://www.sparkfun.com/

http://www.parallax.com/

 

[jasjit]

Thanks for the reply mate..Nice suggestion
But i am not sure whether i can do that..because my professor might reject it...
Also what do you reckon parallel port or serial port programming...keep in mind i am a total beginner and will start studying now as programming is not my core subject ...
Also can i use MATLAB fot r the interfacing?

 

[jasjit]

Thanks for the reply mate..Nice suggestion
But i am not sure whether i can do that..because my professor might reject it...
Also what do you reckon parallel port or serial port programming...keep in mind i am a total beginner and will start studying now as programming is not my core subject ...
Also can i use MATLAB for the interfacing?

 

[Mech_Engineer]

You can't control a motor directly through a serial or parallel port unless you're talking about the communication protocol for the motor controller. Is utilizing a serial link part of your project requirement?

I'm imaginging your requirement is to basically be able to control two DC or stepper motors through a wireless link or some kind. This is a relatively easy thing to do as long as you get the right hardware to make it happen. For a small-scale robot, this could be accomplished with the following hardware list:

• Microcontroller (Arduino, BASIC stamp, etc.)
• Wireless link (maybe Bluetooth for example, which means a smartphone could be the remote controller)
• Motor control board
• Motor drivers
• Motors

This can be accomplished is about a million different ways.

 

[jasjit]

As i said i have never done this before..so i was searching for the same whole day...
What i figured out is
Use a language c or c++ to connect to port..
connect port to the microcontroller (say 8051)
and then connect microcontroller to the motors...
Is it correct?
Also what should i go with parallel or serial...
Using smartphone is bloody cool but do you honestly think i can do it...
Sorry if i ask dumb questions but you seem to be my only hope...

 

[jasjit]

Where are you Mech Engg?

 

[jasjit]

Someone pls reply...i just need some guidance

 

[Mech_Engineer]

Generally microcontrollers are not used to control a motor directly due to the power requirements of the motors. In most (dare I say all) cases what's known as an "amplifier board" is used which takes commands from the microcontroller and implements them with the motor.

As I said before, everything you need is already available and done comonly. Connecting to the serial port is the easy part; you need to get a correct hardware list going first.

Also as I said before, if you have a requirement of communicating with the controller wirelessly, look into an off-the-shelf solution such as a bluetooth communication module. Having to engineer the entire system from scratch (including wireless communication) will bog you down in the details very fast.

 

[Mech_Engineer]

Example required hardware list:

• Microcontroller: Arduino Uno
• Amplifier: Arduino Motor Driver Shield (controls two DC motors)
• Wireless Communication Module: Bluetooth Mate Gold

Now keep in mind that amplifier is a hobbyist-grade robotic one (2A per motor, about 10W at 5V), so if you wanted a stronger one you'd have to go a bigger one. So say you're driving a set of industrial-grade motors, you would use a much larger amplifier (and power source) like from Parker for example:

• Industrial Amplifier: Parker RTS DC Servo Drive

The control inputs for the amplifier can still be accomplished with the Arduino, but larger motors have larger power requirements (the Paker can drive up to 6.5kW, that's a pretty big DC motor at about 8.7hp).

A list of industrial and scientific-grade DC Servo Drives can be found on GlobalSpec:
http://beta.globalspec.com/SpecSearch/Suppliers?QID=22390097&Comp=4140&sortBy=standardproduct

 

[jasjit]

Thanks a lot Mech you were quite precise with that. Well right now my exams are going on but after this week i will be free to go as deep as possible on this subject...So i will post more queries after that..