So, I’m a cheap ass, and I would much rather design my own transmitter and receiver than drop $50+ on something I can make for pennies (and time, which I have more of then dollars). I plan on 3d printing the housing, and releasing a custom board schematic, as well as inclusding a housing that will work with off the shelf parts, and possibly doing a small run manufacture (read: maybe just a few dozen, I don’t have my own printer so the run would be small).
I have only touched the gt2b, but I have looked at every controller on the market. My personal opinion is that a wii nunchuck shaped controller (with the joystick limited to only one axis movement) and the two buttons on the front functioning as a cruise control and a second channel for whatever you want is a solid mechanical plan. As for electronics, 2.4ghz seems like hands down the best solution. Maybe also include a couple pots for adjusting sensitivity of the throttle and brake (though, since I will be writing the firmware, I can create custom curves for these anyways).
Anyways, I haven’t actually finished my board, so I don’t have the experience of many of you. I was just hoping to gather any input I can get on design preferences since this is something I would like to provide to the community as a low cost alternative to commercial controllers.
bluetooth modules are very cheap, but I heard people have problems with bluetooth.
there is got to be a way to make a robust bluetooth controller, because boostedboards remote is bluetooth.
A Bluetooth controller would be no harder than 2.4ghz, but 2.4ghz uses less power, and since I would like the controller to be very small, I think it’s the better option.
My vote is for @DougM’s tubie remote. Looks like a couple of strategically designed 3d printed plugs at either end of the clear pipe would finish off his design.
Plus, I think there could be more alternatives when it comes to thumb style remotes (as opposed to trigger style).
If you do use my design don’t put the power button next to the enable/disable button - it confuses people. On the next rev I will have a slider or rocker as a power switch and it will be inset and on the side.
Other than that it’s been a great remote. But it’s not for the budget-minded - both the transmitter and receiver board uses XBee, which is rock solid (no BT for me) but it is expensive. It also has a Teensy 3.2 and an Adafruit 9DOF sensor in it.
I’m having trouble understanding how it works, although @baxter is right, it looks GREAT. Is that button on the top a spring loaded slide pot? How do you apply breaks if you can’t pull it up?
It’s a tilt-pitch-roll sensor. The blue button is power, the red button is enable/disable. Power it up, hold it parallel to the ground, hit the enable button. Tilt up = go fast; tilt down = brake.
What I found works best is to power it up, push the board until you’re moving, tilt it down a little bit and hit the enable button, then you can feel the motor and a little bit of brake engage, then tilt it up and go fast.
