Unmanned Grow Bot? I call it RCG... building a robot controlled by wifi to gro
- Thread starter Airheadnobody
- Start date
BINGO! This would be a MUCH easier task to achieve. I've already designed a solar powered hydro system.. it's dead simple... but thought this might be an entertaining exercise in mechanics and whatnot
alp
Airheadnobody
Member
I agree there is alot easier things out there but why settle for easy? I love building things i have a big interest in mechanical engineering, electronics, and programming. So this makes since to me... I dont have nothing against hydro i mean It is pretty fukn awesome but I thought this would be a unique project that would use 90% of all my skills and a few I would like to learn... regardless i want a robot and i wanted to see if anyone in the growing community shared similar interest, so, from now on out hows about we just work on innovations and what not (on a budget) to build a human controlled robot via wifi remote connect. I have many great ideas bouncing around in my head like electrons in an atom and Im just trying to get them out there... I want to get help from you guys but also there may be someone out there that would want to do the same and I could easily catch one up to the point im at in this project with little more than a spare pc and arduino... as for you arduino fans it wouldnt hurt if u wanted to send me code for PWM motor control with button controls I now just have a basic 2 button 2 motor program to turn on/off and runs only in one direction like a tank without reverse... i can write it but i just dont want to ha ha... thanks for info so far but anyway im building a robot anyone wanna help with ideas of how you might do it if it were you???BINGO! This would be a MUCH easier task to achieve. I've already designed a solar powered hydro system.. it's dead simple... but thought this might be an entertaining exercise in mechanics and whatnot
alp
Airheadnobody
Member
I disagree we have more technology available now than ever and it is ever expanding on a global scale at extreme rates... if someone told you 5 years ago you could buy a laptop with 4 core processor, 3 gig dedicated graphics ram on nvidia 570m, 12 gig 1600mhz ram,Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 (3x3 AGN) and a built in subwoofer for under $2k and have a black muslim president in the US, would you believe that it was possibly??? WAKE UP, people have been building wireless robots since like the 90's its not my fault you guys are have problems understanding the fundamentals and applied science of mechanical engineering and electronics...
hell I guess next someone gonna post that weed will never be legal in any state in the US and osama bin laden will never be killed... again i say...
(and I quote.)"NO HOPE FOR THE HUMAN RACE!!!"
STLbudz
Well-Known Member
LOL I like what your trying to do ,hope to see this thing up and running, although i do believe an automated system would work best for me anyway haha It would be neat to c a lil robot doing the work lol that way you can see whats going on at all time , Like a video game ,, Not like that dumb farmers ville such a waste of time .....
Airheadnobody
Member
lmao yeah your right haha the biggest problem is building/buying 1/8 scale tank tracks they are expensive built and the parts to build seem to be high too... so idk at this point if ill have it for this season i need a job in between grants lol but anyway i am looking in to buying tank tracks whole or parts if anyone knows a cheap site let me know.
Airheadnobody
Member
looks like sparkfun.com has a good enough cheap grabbing claw its only $10 and the servo to run it is another $11
AdvancedNewbie
Well-Known Member
I agree with that a controller might be easier... But did you think to maybe have an automated process instead of a robot? Maybe a flood table, where the plants grow through a bunch of sheet metal style cutters, then when it's time to harvest, just close the cutters, and collect the plant somehow... The rest can be controlled by a controller - that's what they're best at; keeping set points. As for mixing nutes, why not have a 'pump box' that has a water feed solenoid, a drain solenoid....
When you want to mix: Drain the pumpbox by opening the drain solenoid valve, flush the system (maybe fill up and drain 3 times) via the water feed solenoid valve, then you could have a measurement beaker, with an over flow drain to the exact amount you want, then you could start the nute pump to the beaker, have it overflow back into the nute resevoir for a bit, then open up the drain into the pumpbox, that way you get the exact measurement each time.... Maybe in 25 mL intervals for a 50L nute pump box?
Edit: You would need a one way valve comming off that pump so when the pump turns off the nutes don't backflush through the pump.
When you want to mix: Drain the pumpbox by opening the drain solenoid valve, flush the system (maybe fill up and drain 3 times) via the water feed solenoid valve, then you could have a measurement beaker, with an over flow drain to the exact amount you want, then you could start the nute pump to the beaker, have it overflow back into the nute resevoir for a bit, then open up the drain into the pumpbox, that way you get the exact measurement each time.... Maybe in 25 mL intervals for a 50L nute pump box?
Edit: You would need a one way valve comming off that pump so when the pump turns off the nutes don't backflush through the pump.
The Scooby Master
Active Member
Seems like this should already be in the works for use in commercial size vegatable gardens. But I guess that Mexicans are cheaper than the R&D investment. 
you nailed that pretty good, it's the eternal battle of technology and people willing to do it cheaperSeems like this should already be in the works for use in commercial size vegatable gardens. But I guess that Mexicans are cheaper than the R&D investment.
you do see more mechanical harvesters being showcased on the science type shows
if it ever got to be completely automated farms, i can see the day of the MJ hacker, change the farm software(and some seeds added)
Airheadnobody
Member
here we go. lets use our brains...
ok you got the concept so lets take it deeper. the robot is basically 18.5 inches(front to back) X 15 inches (side to side *no wheels)X 6.5 inches tall. With that in mind... I plan to build a top to attach to this base so the over all deminsions of the body would be approx 18.5 X 15 X 12 - 15 inches of course. ok now think only about the top section, thats where i plan to mount the water res, nute res, pumps(3 maybe), robotic arm(with room to retract inward),and i guess thats its besides cameras. top section would be about
18.5" X 15" X 5.5-9". Im thinking an water res. size of like 1 gallon and maybe 1 liter of nutes because of wieght and to save room. I will have a water source nearby to replenish after watering every plant if needed. I like your idea but I would like to shrink it and add a couple of things... will add more soon g2g
AdvancedNewbie
Well-Known Member
It would be pretty neat. I'm just trying to imagine all the remote places you could grow... Maybe even underground, have the bot in there.
Airheadnobody
Member
thanks for all the replies guys im still on it i just had a recent run in with the law and apparently its illegal to possess a gram of weed and 2 roaches who knew. anyone of you got a degree law... well Im workin on the bot today but Its become obvious that its harder to find someone to giveyou 3 or 4 bikes for free or cheap than i thought so just for "kicks and giggles" (i heard that somewhere...?) and to show a demo of my electronics driving this thing I have taken an old rc rock crawler and mounted it to the body idk if the little motors can even handle 25+ lbs but maybe they can with a 4-wheeler battery instead of 8 AA's hope this ant a waste of time ill get the cam out when im done wiring it up... peace and BE EASY...
AdvancedNewbie
Well-Known Member
They bullied you over a gram of weed and 2 roaches? Call me paranoid, but it seems like they were expecting more and from YOU for some reason... Hmm.
BeaverHuntr
Well-Known Member
Make a robot that cleans my bong for me.
AdvancedNewbie
Well-Known Member
It's funny you said that... I was thinking of one that could bust a nug and roll it.
Airheadnobody
Member
nah its just a case of me slippin due to the fact I put myself in a sketchy situation... I mean it shouldnt have to be this way but its illegal here and so is anything that could be used in colaboration with it. I never carry a grinder or anything but for some reason a guy i was with did and hell one thing led to another and on top of that the MFer didnt claim his shit so he got everyone fukd up what ever he has it comin if I ever see him again...