Philosoraptor
1 W
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2021
- Messages
- 54
I’m starting a new build and want to document it. I’m struggling with where to post this one, so I’m going to start here. If it needs moved let me know.
The kids and I moved from the mountains a couple years ago into a very flat part of the Midwest. I used to snowboard but can’t where we are, so to help get through the winter here I’m working on a… snowbot? The idea is something I can control in the snow with a nunchuck, and that has a tow rope behind it (like a boat for waterskis) and to use it for pulling me so I can snowboard on the golf course near my house or wherever I can find.
The design is conceptually straightforward. It’s a track-drive skid-steer powered by two motors. I’ve built a few other things so this seems doable, although I’ve never worked with rubber treads so this will be a new frontier for me.
I’m looking at two QS mid drives (the 3kw V 3’s) and a pair of VESCs. I’m thinking VESC primarily because I’m familiar with them.
I’m a mediocre C programmer and have some experience with precision machine work, and have access to a fiber laser, so I’m planning to do the fabrication and coding myself. For the brain I’m thinking an ESP32 since I can repurpose that for some other software stuff later. For now I’m not looking to do anything crazy with computing. Just basic joystick drive.
I’m not sure how to size motors for snow, especially given it will be pulling a 200 lb person on a snowboard. I’ve also never built my own battery pack but expect I will need to for this one. So those and tank treads are my learning milestones for this project.
My ideal is to keep this under 100 lbs but given the motors alone are around 90 I’m already kind of giving up on that. I’d like it to be portable but it has to work too.
I started work on the controller today. I want to build my own, and all the nunchucks I’ve seen lock the two motors together anyway (you can’t accelerate them separately to steer). I’m curious to see how ESP-NOW works and may try that.
Any suggestions are welcome. I’m in brainstorming and design mode now but will post pictures as cads come together. I’m thinking aluminum for the structure and bending some metal for the outer body. It needs to be able to take a beating.
The kids and I moved from the mountains a couple years ago into a very flat part of the Midwest. I used to snowboard but can’t where we are, so to help get through the winter here I’m working on a… snowbot? The idea is something I can control in the snow with a nunchuck, and that has a tow rope behind it (like a boat for waterskis) and to use it for pulling me so I can snowboard on the golf course near my house or wherever I can find.
The design is conceptually straightforward. It’s a track-drive skid-steer powered by two motors. I’ve built a few other things so this seems doable, although I’ve never worked with rubber treads so this will be a new frontier for me.
I’m looking at two QS mid drives (the 3kw V 3’s) and a pair of VESCs. I’m thinking VESC primarily because I’m familiar with them.
I’m a mediocre C programmer and have some experience with precision machine work, and have access to a fiber laser, so I’m planning to do the fabrication and coding myself. For the brain I’m thinking an ESP32 since I can repurpose that for some other software stuff later. For now I’m not looking to do anything crazy with computing. Just basic joystick drive.
I’m not sure how to size motors for snow, especially given it will be pulling a 200 lb person on a snowboard. I’ve also never built my own battery pack but expect I will need to for this one. So those and tank treads are my learning milestones for this project.
My ideal is to keep this under 100 lbs but given the motors alone are around 90 I’m already kind of giving up on that. I’d like it to be portable but it has to work too.
I started work on the controller today. I want to build my own, and all the nunchucks I’ve seen lock the two motors together anyway (you can’t accelerate them separately to steer). I’m curious to see how ESP-NOW works and may try that.
Any suggestions are welcome. I’m in brainstorming and design mode now but will post pictures as cads come together. I’m thinking aluminum for the structure and bending some metal for the outer body. It needs to be able to take a beating.