need some advice on a project

[Jerry Davis]

I am making a R2D2 robot for my grandson.

I chose an R2D2 bank as the shell (see http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002NT273O/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

This cavity of the bank is quite large, I can basically stuff all kinds of electronics and stuff in there.

Ok. Here is my question.

I want to cut the top part of the robot's body off (the head), and turn it into a turret that will move back and forth (driven by a DC motor). The top will also have to be placed back on good enough to keep the electronics in, and be easy enough to take (or screw) back off to facilitate replacing the battery.

I respect y'all's opinion. So what would you think would work the best?

jerry

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[Larry Campbell]

I would if I were you:

slice the head off and make a sleeve that would attach to the head to ride inside the body.

see if you could procure or 3dprint a ring gear that would fit inside the sleeve mounted in the head and mount a motor inside the body with a compatible gear for said ring gear.

use a curlycord(s)  for LEDs for the head, keeping as much of the weight mounted inside the body and NOT on the head to make the head travel smoothly. I think making the head travel max at 350 degrees would allow you to put a center post to have a single screw to keep the head on without wiring twisting up badly. (use a countersunk hex type scre to reduce chance your granson would try to remove it to look inside.... I would recommend against making a snap on head  retention type sleeve as that would wear more heavily and have greater chance of binding.

Larry

On Saturday, May 25, 2013 6:07:40 AM UTC-7, jdawgaz wrote:

I am making a R2D2 robot for my grandson.

[Nate Caine]

I'd mount one of those RC servo motors inside with the output shaft dead-centered on the dome/body ring.  

 

Make a plastic mount to adapt the servo plate to the dome head (us the laser).

Arduino interface to servo motor is trivial and well-documented.  There are several around the lab to experiment with.  Fry's Electronics cost is about $10.

Typical servo will give you 270° rotation....three-quarter  head turn.

You might want to additionally mount a few LEDs at the appropriate places under the dome to back light R2D2s.

Oh, and don't forget a little speaker for the squaking.  YOU won't have to listen to it, but your grandson's parents will certainly enjoy it!  ;)

The 3D holographic projector of Princess Leia imploring "help me Obi-Wan, you're my only hope" is left as an exercise to the student.

[Robert Bell]

Holotupac it http://compare.ebay.com/like/110718637683?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&_lwgsi=y&cbt=y

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[Tony Brenke]

Another option for mounting is a lazzy boy swivel. That has a large dia ball bearing race built-in. Then for movment you can use a simple spring loaded wheel on any inside smoth surface. You can get positional feedback be an encoder. That will let you have head rotation to points.  The mounting I would do with an internal platform supporting the bearing race outter non moving ring and a buildup inner ring that screws to the head.

[Corey Renner]

That's a good idea, those bearings come in a lot of different sizes and are cheap.

cheers,

c