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Author Topic: New invention in the works...need help  (Read 1745 times)

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Offline justinsane187Topic starter

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New invention in the works...need help
« on: March 13, 2013, 01:59:34 AM »
Hi all im new to the forum and this is my first post. Im not a roboteer and im not even very familiar with electronics but i need advice for something ive been meaning to invent and have put together by some folks in china.

Im trying to make a prototype for a laser that is mounted on a motorized swivel that triggers when a infrared target is acquired and then shoots the beam at it..Also powered by solar. Now I know the lasers u buy in china are cheep as hell and so are the infrared cameras, but the trick would be in the mechanics of the swivel system and how far the infrared camera can see..and well i guess toughest of all putting it all together so it works :p ..Im not talking a powerful laser just enough to make a beam at night..can anyone shed some light on how i can present this to be made?   

Sry if i might be on the wrong forum but i figured you guys might be my best shot..thx

Offline newInRobotics

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Re: New invention in the works...need help
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2013, 03:10:45 AM »
Hi

Well, for laser I would use simple laser pointer (unless You want something more lethal, in which case it's not likely You are going to obtain such a laser (if they exist at all (we are talking many many kilowatts of power here and and relatively big distances to hit the target))), hack it and replace push button with relay or transistor. As for camera/target acquirement/aiming, it all involves some heavy video/image processing which might not be easy.

Also, if You want to achieve all You described and nothing else, then sorry to disappoint, but it is not an invention, as object tracking/aiming systems have been used all over the world for quite some time now.

If You provide us with more information on what You have already and some specific questions about issues You face, we might be able to better help You.
"Computer games don't affect kids; I mean if Pac-Man affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in darkened rooms, munching magic pills and listening to repetitive electronic music." - Kristian W

Offline jwatte

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Re: New invention in the works...need help
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2013, 11:02:52 AM »
Words mean different things :-) I think the original poster means "product development" here.

If the idea is: "I put this on my chicken coop. When a racoon walks by, the laser points at the racoon, scaring it away" then that's not a product I can currently buy. If that product works, there might be a market for it.

Product development is hard work, and requires lots of small steps to all be completed correctly. If this is the first product you're trying to develop and bring to market, you should try to find a mentor or advisor or partner who has done it before, and listen to what they have to say. I can't emphasize that enough -- experience can make or break a product development effort.

Typically you'll have to build the prototype and the first "real" instance of the product yourself, using prototyping methods. Anything from sheet metal cutting to 3D printing may help. Once you have a working version that is manufacturable, you can provide drawings, a parts list, and make a request for proposals to find contractors who will assemble it. You're also going to have to solve problems like packaging for transportation, documentation, and regulatory compliance (make sure you understand the FCC requirements and costs, for example.)

You can create the necessary parts lists and drawings in a tool like Autodesk Inventor, or even just using free programs like Inkscape and Google Spreadsheets. But that requires that you already have a good understanding of how to build the thing.

If what you're asking is "I have this idea for a racoon prevention device, and I need help to have the first one built," then trying to out-source that to a different country is probably not going to work well. In fact, out-sourcing to even another city might be hard, as you'll need to work closely with whomever you pay to make this happen, and frequent in-person check-ups are important to success. Also, you should expect to pay significant money for the actual effort involved in designing, engineering, and prototyping, if that's what you're trying to look for. Prototypers need to eat, pay the rent, and send their kids to school, too :)


 


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