ASK Airsoft Drone

[ackme]

So it's looking like my drone project is taking a life of it's own. I was actually half joking when I was talking about it last week and now I have the turret controls in the mail. I'm hoping that this will be a worlds first of sorts so if you know someone else doing it or who has done it let me know.

The main platform is an offroad R/C car. The body has been removed and replaced with custom plexi body that contains a 600Mhz mini computer, an internet connected cell phone, a hit detection plate, a USB powered remote turret, a turret mounted camera, and a full auto hopper fed airsoft gun.

The car would be controlled by an operator at the site so as to avoid running it off a cliff, under a real car, etc.

The turret will be controlled by (drum roll please) an operator sitting at home on the internet! That's right folks, airsoft by proxy!

The operator can pan, elevate, and fire the gun all from MSN Messenger. A second camera (optional depending on CPU usage) will feed a live in game stream to an embedded application right on airsoftkorea.org. So anyone can watch the game right from the site. If I get clever enough I may even make the controls work right in the site so people logged in can use the turret.

The hit detection plate will disable the fire controls when it gets hit and set off a siren, making it a working player rather than an invincible drone.

Keep in mind that all this will be made out of stuff I find in Korea and on a shoestring budget. This is as much as a proof of concept as a working thing. I imagine that it will be nothing more than a novelty, but a very cool one.

I should have it ready by the October 8th game. A lot depends on whether I can interface the cell phone and the computer, otherwise it will be limited to use near wifi points.

[ackme]

I should have the basic viewing application done tomorrow and one streaming camera working from on the car.

I'll post a day and time soon so you can see the camera in action on the car. No gun or turret yet until I get some more things built.

I really wish I had access to a shop some times...

[ackme]

Drone Viewer is kind of working. (http://www.airsoftkorea.org/faq.php?faq=drone_viewer#faq_inputtest)

[TAN]

That is so cool....!

I have seen airsoft mounted on R/C car and firing at moving target. But I have never seen the one controllable from internet. She is very likely the first of her kind.

Cannot wait to see the demo.

[GMN]

Great work Chris. This sort of thing really amazes me. I'm not much of an engineer so could never do something like this.

Gonna have to put some 4th Guards Lancers decals on it. Pimp it out.

[MonkeyMan]

lol, i can't see anything...

[ackme]

@ Moneky, you can only see something if the power on the drone is active. I'm still working out CPU issues but it works as a remote camera drone for the time being. I'll post some times that it'll be working soon.

@ GMN, Going to paint it with the ASK logo when it's done :)

[nexus]

Nice work :)
I always wanted to make my own RC plane and put a camera on it possible small AEG to enable it for RC dogfighter :D
I saw some examples form youtube already done.
If I had more time and money then I would definitely choose RC modeling as my third hobby ,LoL,

[ackme]

http://www.airsoftkorea.org/picture.php?albumid=26&pictureid=1248

So the outer shell is done, the computer is mounted, and I got the turret tonight. I tested it with George and it works remotely using my desktop computer. If it works with the onboard computer on the drone it's half way done.

I still need to find a mini electric gun (hopper fed) and get it working with the turret.

[ackme]

Today's progress:

1. Outer decals in multicam and ASK (temp as I scratched them all up trimming the plexi)
2. Installed speakers in the sidewalls
3. USB power for sound amplification
4. Installed sound board
5. External audio controls (volume +/-, power)
6. Video feed test with turret cam
7. Onboard turret controls
8. Tested turret and fire control locally
9. Installed software for external MSN turret control
10. Cut myself twice
11. Tested internet music feed (99.3 The Fox for those from Vancouver)
12. Ordered Airsoft gun to rebuild on turret (now I'm fairly sure it will work)
13. Added and tested wired turret remote (2M for on site demo)

It actually makes a pretty good sound system. Comically I used the drone as a stereo as I was working on it.

Weight is becoming a huge issue. The shocks are bottoming out just under the weight of the plexi, turret, and computer. I don't even have the gun on yet. It's also going to be challenging offroad with this much weight on it.

I'll post some pics later.

[ackme]

http://www.airsoftkorea.org/picture.php?albumid=26&pictureid=1250

[TAN]

With the paints on, she really looks great!

Nice job, Chris. A+.

Also,


10. Cut myself twice


lol

[GMN]

So sweet looking. Major props!

[ackme]

Working on getting the turret working and firing with motion control via wiimote. I made a sleeve where you can keep it hidden so it looks like it just follows your arm movements. The computer is getting kinda flaky though. It has 4 usb devices and 2 bluetooth devices. The gun came today so I should have a working proof of concept by tomorrow.

[ackme]

Sweeeeett. The turret is now controlled 100% by motion control via wiimote. It's even in a gun that will fire when you pull the trigger. Still working on the firing part.

[ackme]

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[nemesis]

holy s**t... that is the THING...

[ackme]

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[ackme]

For those who said it wasn't possible, nuts to you! Though nobody except me said that...

It now auto tracks and fires at a designated IR target. This means that the turret will remain on standby until it sees a 'beacon' it's looking for and then track and engage that beacon when it gets into range. It even works when the car is driving. This makes the turret almost completely autonomous.
So if I slap you on the shoulder or give you a new 'happy patch' next game check for batteries ;).

I'll post a video of this tomorrow. I also fixed MOST of the shocks issue so it drives with all the hardware now. Time to take the kids to the park and let them try on their new happy patches :D

[nemesis]

nice... I can play with happy patch with battery...and get some ass shoot from heavily armed fully automated new version of HUMMER H666. haha

[ackme]

sweeett, my order of relays got here just in time for the game this weekend. I reprogrammed a bypass for the timing system (it had a timing system from the USB device I used for the relay controller). It now works perfectly with the wiimote and fires in full auto with no errors. I'll bring it this weekend, maybe we can find some use for it.

[ackme]

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[Courtesy]

That's pretty frickin' sweet.