I may have watched this video before and after watching it again I realise how much I need to redesign my project and now do it safety Thankyou so much for the attention to detail
I have the exact wheelchair frame and drive .i was planning to make a RC lawn mower but i think I will change to the snow pusher. Super informative video. thank you Robert.
Thanks! Everyone told me to keep my videos to 5 minutes or under, but that just never seems like enough time to really explain anything. Thanks for watching!
I just want to say I've watched 100's of videos like yours on youtube and yours so far have been the most informative. Not just the information but the presentation and layout of your video is awesome. Keep up the good work. Thanks again.
I really enjoyed and learned alot from your video. You have a great delivery. Here is a suggestion on 12" of snow Don't fill the entire shovel when first starting. Try a quarter shovel per pass and push it to a place you can leave it. or add a little weight on the rear of the machine.
Nice build! I think lead acid batteries in line with the drive motors would give you the best results. I know your probably trying to keep it on the lighter side so you can pick it up, but tire chains or studs will leave marks on your pavement... Maybe a removable battery tray so you can take it out and carry it in 2 pieces?
I was thinking of just adding weight to the compartment or something. The LiPos drive the motors the best (lead acids just don't have enough current delivery when driving it hard). Ideally, I should go to tank treads, but they are difficult to find cheap. Carrying the whole thing isn't a big deal, I just drive it where it needs to go. I can access my whole property by just driving it, so weight isn't a big concern. I just chose not to use lead acid because of the performance aspects and size. I can always get the electronics as small as possible and fill the rest of the cavity with weight (sand or concrete, etc).
I'd recommend putting 24DC breaker on the battery line. In the event of short circuit you may set battery on fire before you manage to run to your emergency switch off (like exploading "hoverboards"). On real snow plows I've seen small casters on the bottom of the shovel to help it following ground irregularities. Waiting for snow now :)
My other safety mechanism actually has a separate battery system. The only way the solenoid gets activated is if the e-stop is disengaged, another button is on, the secondary battery is charged, and if it gets a signal from the radio. The breaker is a good idea though, I have several of them that I gutted from the wheelchairs. The casters is a good idea and I was thinking of something similar to guide the shovel over cracks and such.
Craigslist, facebook groups, free groups, etc. Just look around, you'll find them. Just be patient. You need to be consistent in looking, don't just look once and call it a day.
what charger do you use on that beast of a battery, and how long does it take to charge . i am considering getting one versus lead acid for similar applications
I just use an imax b6 charger, which is pretty cheap. I have the AC version and the normal version. you typically charge batteries at 1S, so this would get charged around 20A, but I don't think the b6 can go that high. I forget how long it takes, it's not fast that's for sure. but you get a LOT more power than a lead acid can delivery.
Good question. Solenoids are better at high loads, and won't weld shut as easily. Since the point of the solenoid was a safety cutout, I went with a system that wouldn't fail in high current applications. If the motors stall out at full power and something bad happens, it could weld shut a switch or relay quite easily. The solenoid is better for this application.
Yep, check craigslist from time to time, there's usually a couple on there for cheap. I've gotten them for free (with fully working motors and electronics). The most I've paid is $100 for one with working electronics, motors, but dead batteries. You can usually find beat up ones for cheap.
I really really wanted to do tracks, but they are very hard to find OR very expensive. I'm still searching for a broken down tracked snow blower that I can steal the tracks from. They are just really hard to find under $500. I might try wider or bigger tires, we'll see how these work with studs in them. But I'm pretty sure traction is going to be my number one issue.
Hello Robert!! I assume you have already read all Riobotz Combot Tutorial hahaha Maybe a way to solve this is doing something like they did when the competition was held on an ice arena. It would be much cheaper(almost no cost) IF it works. Keep up with the robot videos, love them! Bye, cheers from Brazil!
You can find these pretty much anywhere. The Taranis QX7 is the one I'd recommend, you can find them on eBay, Hobby King, Amazon, or even Bang Good. You typically buy the transmitter and receivers separately, and you usually keep the transmitter in your robot, and have one for each robot.
whats the model of the wheelchair... I got a jazzy for like 10 bucks and I put them onto a 250lb battlebot but they are oddly shaped... the model you have has motors on it that are more desirable to use.
I think this is a Permobil Koala. But the other motors were from an Invacare chair. Jazzy, Invacare and Permobil all use similar motors. If you're talking about the ones I showed around 5 minutes, those are from some other wheelchair, and I can't remember the model. But MAYBE an Invacare. I have a box of wheelchair motors and I can't always remember where they all came from :-/
It's sitting in the garage. Just waiting on some parts for it. I need to get a smoothieboard and some parts for the Z axis before I can keep going with it. I'll get there!
Robert Cowan I saw that on your 2nd part of this video. Thank you very much for the no nonsense educational videos. Well done, and I'm am now subscribed.
i desperately want to take and old wheel chair and turn it into a haunted house prop, i want to turn it into an animated puppet basically. i want to stick a dummy whether its a skeleton, or something and be able to have an actor or staff walk around and discreetly control it with one hand and have either a car horn, water sprayer or air blast on it. half of the work is just geting the wheel chair to move by remote and the other half is attaching the dummy and doing that work
That's on my list for next year. I have some aluminum extrusion to make a frame for a lawnmower deck to sit underneath. I'd like that to be 100% autonomous though, so it's a bit more of a challenge.
YET another wheel chair robot....I cant find these things for less than $350 even at a junk auction that is as is.and im not paying 350 for the motors and wheels for a robot.
I may have watched this video before and after watching it again I realise how much I need to redesign my project and now do it safety
Thankyou so much for the attention to detail
I have the exact wheelchair frame and drive .i was planning to make a RC lawn mower but i think I will change to the snow pusher. Super informative video. thank you Robert.
I love how thorough you are with your videos, very interesting to learn more about these kind of things.
Thanks for the great content!
Thanks! Everyone told me to keep my videos to 5 minutes or under, but that just never seems like enough time to really explain anything. Thanks for watching!
@@RobertCowanDIY there are some people like us which like to watch video to learn a skill so if you upload even 3 hours video. We will watch it :)
I just want to say I've watched 100's of videos like yours on youtube and yours so far have been the most informative. Not just the information but the presentation and layout of your video is awesome. Keep up the good work. Thanks again.
I really enjoyed and learned alot from your video. You have a great delivery. Here is a suggestion on 12" of snow Don't fill the entire shovel when first starting. Try a quarter shovel per pass and push it to a place you can leave it. or add a little weight on the rear of the machine.
Can't wait to watch the next update of this project!!! Thanks for sharing all this cool stuff, Robert!
I love this. Makes me wish it snowed here!
Nice video but I have some questions regarding the solenoid that I think is a great idea
Can you provide more information or a link to the battery that you show at 9:00....? Thanks!
With all the time and effort to mount the plastic shovel, would it have been better to have a metal plow blade made to your specs?
Thanks for these videos, Your explanations are nice and useful while staying understandable.
Nice build! I think lead acid batteries in line with the drive motors would give you the best results. I know your probably trying to keep it on the lighter side so you can pick it up, but tire chains or studs will leave marks on your pavement... Maybe a removable battery tray so you can take it out and carry it in 2 pieces?
I was thinking of just adding weight to the compartment or something. The LiPos drive the motors the best (lead acids just don't have enough current delivery when driving it hard). Ideally, I should go to tank treads, but they are difficult to find cheap. Carrying the whole thing isn't a big deal, I just drive it where it needs to go. I can access my whole property by just driving it, so weight isn't a big concern. I just chose not to use lead acid because of the performance aspects and size. I can always get the electronics as small as possible and fill the rest of the cavity with weight (sand or concrete, etc).
This is awesome, can't wait to see it in action!
I'd recommend putting 24DC breaker on the battery line. In the event of short circuit you may set battery on fire before you manage to run to your emergency switch off (like exploading "hoverboards"). On real snow plows I've seen small casters on the bottom of the shovel to help it following ground irregularities. Waiting for snow now :)
My other safety mechanism actually has a separate battery system. The only way the solenoid gets activated is if the e-stop is disengaged, another button is on, the secondary battery is charged, and if it gets a signal from the radio. The breaker is a good idea though, I have several of them that I gutted from the wheelchairs. The casters is a good idea and I was thinking of something similar to guide the shovel over cracks and such.
love this!...have been wanting to make an RC lawnmower, great ideas here
Really fantastic amount of detail in this, thanks!
You're welcome!
How’s the torque? What’s the pulling or pushing capacity. I’ve heard some small motors can pull a car
I know this video is now almost 5 years old, but you said you got the wheelchair base for $60. Where would I look to find something comparable?
Craigslist, facebook groups, free groups, etc. Just look around, you'll find them. Just be patient. You need to be consistent in looking, don't just look once and call it a day.
How do you set up the Tx so you can use the throttle stick to control the motor in both forward and reverse?
Look up tutorials on tank steering or v-tail mixing. Each radio will be completely different.
Ohhhh thats a cool toy with use also 😁
Totally awesome! Where's the robot?
so what happened to the first one you were working on with the snow blower
Nice! You could always setup a sandbox for testing in the meantime before it snows ;)
Ha, that's true. I don't have one, so I'd have to go to a public park and really screw up their sandbox. Or a sand trap at a golf course...
Nice, really looking forward to seeing the next videos! :)
Nice project! Keep going
How did you remove the hubs
what charger do you use on that beast of a battery, and how long does it take to charge . i am considering getting one versus lead acid for similar applications
I just use an imax b6 charger, which is pretty cheap. I have the AC version and the normal version. you typically charge batteries at 1S, so this would get charged around 20A, but I don't think the b6 can go that high. I forget how long it takes, it's not fast that's for sure. but you get a LOT more power than a lead acid can delivery.
Why use a solenoid or a relay instead of a switch?
Good question. Solenoids are better at high loads, and won't weld shut as easily. Since the point of the solenoid was a safety cutout, I went with a system that wouldn't fail in high current applications. If the motors stall out at full power and something bad happens, it could weld shut a switch or relay quite easily. The solenoid is better for this application.
@@RobertCowanDIY Gotcha, thank you for the quick reply.
Did I hear say the wheel chair chassis cost you $60 for the chassis?
Yep, check craigslist from time to time, there's usually a couple on there for cheap. I've gotten them for free (with fully working motors and electronics). The most I've paid is $100 for one with working electronics, motors, but dead batteries. You can usually find beat up ones for cheap.
Narrow tires may be problematic is soft snow.
Track system might be better or can even wider tires be mounted?
I really really wanted to do tracks, but they are very hard to find OR very expensive. I'm still searching for a broken down tracked snow blower that I can steal the tracks from. They are just really hard to find under $500. I might try wider or bigger tires, we'll see how these work with studs in them. But I'm pretty sure traction is going to be my number one issue.
Hello Robert!! I assume you have already read all Riobotz Combot Tutorial hahaha Maybe a way to solve this is doing something like they did when the competition was held on an ice arena. It would be much cheaper(almost no cost) IF it works. Keep up with the robot videos, love them! Bye, cheers from Brazil!
I have read that tutorial, it's great! Thanks!
If you find that trick interesting and usable let me know, see ya!
I live in northern WI. Believe me, narrow tires are actually better for going through snow.
Good job, where can I source the three axis receiver and compatible transmitter?
You can find these pretty much anywhere. The Taranis QX7 is the one I'd recommend, you can find them on eBay, Hobby King, Amazon, or even Bang Good. You typically buy the transmitter and receivers separately, and you usually keep the transmitter in your robot, and have one for each robot.
If it's RC, it's not a robot 8-)
Subscribing
Where can I buy? How much does it cost? Thank you
Does anybody know what the motor specs are?
Which one's better in XT60 and XT90 if you are making a battlebot.
How big does a stick need to be to hold your weight?
Excellent video, loved the detail! I was impressed with the quality if your 3D printed parts. Were you printing in ABS?
whats the model of the wheelchair... I got a jazzy for like 10 bucks and I put them onto a 250lb battlebot but they are oddly shaped... the model you have has motors on it that are more desirable to use.
I think this is a Permobil Koala. But the other motors were from an Invacare chair. Jazzy, Invacare and Permobil all use similar motors. If you're talking about the ones I showed around 5 minutes, those are from some other wheelchair, and I can't remember the model. But MAYBE an Invacare. I have a box of wheelchair motors and I can't always remember where they all came from :-/
ok thanks im gonna look into it for the maker fair in Orlando,fl in October.... ill probably post vids of it on my channel
Cool! They are doing 250 pound battlebots at Orlando maker faire?!
Robert Cowan yep I'm gonna enter
wow, I didn't realize there was another arena that could hold 200 pounders in the US! Neat.
What happened to the stratys 3d printer project? I'm kinda looking forward to see how it comes out!
It's sitting in the garage. Just waiting on some parts for it. I need to get a smoothieboard and some parts for the Z axis before I can keep going with it. I'll get there!
Robert Cowan great. Will keep an eye out
Do you sell, take orders?
Hah, you can send me money, but I might not send anything in return.
I do the same thing but with a RC car
What state do you live in?
Colorado.
Robert Cowan I saw that on your 2nd part of this video. Thank you very much for the no nonsense educational videos. Well done, and I'm am now subscribed.
awesome, glad you got something out of it!
i desperately want to take and old wheel chair and turn it into a haunted house prop, i want to turn it into an animated puppet basically. i want to stick a dummy whether its a skeleton, or something and be able to have an actor or staff walk around and discreetly control it with one hand and have either a car horn, water sprayer or air blast on it. half of the work is just geting the wheel chair to move by remote and the other half is attaching the dummy and doing that work
You should make a full size bot to enter into battlebots
I really should. But they cost around $20k to build and I'm not quite sure that's what I want right now.
Batteries don't like cold weather. :
more rc than robotic but it has something
Eventually, it will have a gimbal mount for the GoPro and an actuator for the plow. So, at least MORE robotic...
I am still wanting to build a robotic law mover. Maybe a e-wheelchair could be also an option.
That's on my list for next year. I have some aluminum extrusion to make a frame for a lawnmower deck to sit underneath. I'd like that to be 100% autonomous though, so it's a bit more of a challenge.
like
you need to replace the paper towel roll
Ha! I knew someone would see that. I really do watch what's in the background of my videos. I might just do a white back-drop or green screen ;-)
Robert Cowan but seriously, this is a cool project
If I'm CEO of Snow Joe or Ego I'm Hiring him. I was watching snow Joe video and saying Technology will put Gas Blowers out Business.
YET another wheel chair robot....I cant find these things for less than $350 even at a junk auction that is as is.and im not paying 350 for the motors and wheels for a robot.
keep looking. look for "power chair" or something like that. they're out there.
Please google the pronunciation of "chassis".
Bruh wasting a wheelchair you should use an Rc car
wasting? at the time of making this video, I had 6 wheelchairs. They are pretty easy to get for cheap.