Hey everybody. I was thinking to make the GPS guidance for my floating sauna. (Technically this can only be thought of as a big boat) I could do the control in the same way as in the example I found on the Internet. https://imgur.com/a/1fFaJ5Q In this example, is used a car air conditioning magnet switch to make traction on the shaft and, if desired also off. The windscreen wiper motor is used in the example. I thought I was using a high torque servo motor. Which solution would be better?
For throttle control, I was thinking of using two linear motors. One would handle the gear and the other would handle the throttle. As a autopilot hardware I planned to use Pixhawk 4 mini. Here’s a planned hardware.
I have some mechanics skills as well as electronics but no experience with ardupilot yet. So I would like you to question my plan and point me to right directon ! Thanks !
What else i need except Pixhawk. Some ESC/BEC for powering that servo ? Can someone poin good one I think I first make steering control, and handle throttle just manual. Is that problem ? Thanks !
Sounds like a fun project. The flight controller and servos you’ve linked look OK. Any servo that accepts a PWM input should work fairly easily. The sabretooth motor driver should also work because it looks like it also accepts a PWM input.
I’m not sure I understand what is going to provide thrust for the vehicle…
Thrust is provided by 30hp Yamaha outboard. That torque from that servo should be enough to do steering. Still servo looks a little bit weak design for that purposes… It is difficult to know what is enough… Maybe car windshield wiper motor and https://www.pololu.com/product/3147 this control board is better solution ? Servo definitely would be easier and less more hasslefree… What you think ?
Is it problem if just steering is done by ardupilot and throttle is just manual on/off at least in the first step ?
OK, I’m actually not too sure about what will be sufficient when it comes to the hardware. As long as the motor driver and servo accept a PWM input then the flight controller should hopefully be able to get it to work.
It’s certainly possible for ArduPilot to only do the steering as a first step… not a bad idea I think.
I haven’t tried a gas motor myself although others in the forum have…
I have made some progress with this. I ended up using a car wiper motor + Pololu jrk driver with potentiometer feedback. (Maybe I need a housing to cover the cord with a mess