Fire and brimstone…
IOIO #1 is fucking toast..
Close call with the new 3-cell LiPo. It took some time to get the singed plastic smell out of the *lab…all three cells appear to be intact.
Making progress on the IOIO project, before the setback.
IOIO on LiIon Battery Power
I finally bucked up and picked up a few Li-Ion batteries for my dust-collecting Clocky mod project. A two cell, a three cell, and a suitable charger for the two arrived in the mail yesterday. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…lithium ion battery tech is crazy. I can’t believe how deprived we were, or more accurately, how pumped I am to utilize this stuff at a decent price point.
Anyhow, I managed to spec out a high quality, thrifty Li-Ion that will fit on my payload…
…and, the little sucker screams…
I have a hard connection from my phone to the IOIO in the vid. I need to configure the new ROM with bluetooth, and wanted to test the power function stand-alone. That will be the next step. The next next step will include piecing the payload together as a drivable unit. The next next next step will be tweaking the UI for some more realistic control units. After that is next next next next, and will involve a video of the unit in action.
Project Demo
One step closer…
This thing screams with wall wart power. Watch…
Now comes the hard part…choosing a decent battery and mounting the circuit board savely on the chasis. I have found a few good candidates, but they are a little bulky for my application. Still looking…
The UI should be fairly straight forward. Just need a few more garage sessions, and I’ll be good to go.
The cordless Dremel was a super purchase FWIW. One of the best tools I’ve used.
Upgrading DC Motors to Servos
A whole bunch of Dremel work and some hot glue…
The Clocky conversion to servo motor control is mostly done.
I still need to make the servo mounts more secure, but the initial test runs look promising:
Getting close. I determined that the IOIO board will not fit inside the casing, so I will have to come up with an external mount. Which will change the balance, so I might end up having to add some counterweights for balance. It should shape up, mechanically, in another garage session or two. The UI work will be another session, thereafter, but look for a finished product within the next week or so.
Chrome Robot Wheels
These rims are hotter than the combination cutting and grinding bit on my new cordless Dremel (after I’ve been cutting and grinding servo fittings with which to secure the rims in question.)
For a project that is being tackled in five-minute-sleeping-baby sessions, it is shaping up. I am not quite sure if the IOIO board will fit in the enclosure, but it will sure be close. I suppose if all else fails, I can chop the thing up a bit…as much as I enjoy Dremel-ing, I’d like to avoid that if possible. Maybe next five minute session…