Hello,
I've got a project I want to play with that will involve a robot that has a tray about 8x10" and can maneuver around the house via remote control. Speed isn't a main concern, maximum load wouldn't be more than a few lb, and my maneuverability requirement is to easily go from hardwood to tile to carpet, maximum 3/4" transitions but nothing extreme, while maintaining the load relatively stable.
I do a good bit of playing around with micro-controllers and I have a 3D printer and access to a laser cutter. In the past I've built a simple tank using a couple of continuous rotation sub-micro servos and a 3D printed chassis to chase my cats around, but that's about the limit of my robotics experience, so I wanted to ask for some advice here before I invest too much time/money in this project while going in the wrong direction.
What I'm thinking at the moment is to use a Vex Robotics Tank Tread kit driven by a couple of stepper motors. I have no idea about how to couple the steppers to the drive axle (is it acceptable/advisable to direct-couple this via a 'lovejoy' connector?) or if based on my requirements, is a tank just generally the wrong way to go and another form of robot would be better/cheaper to get off the ground?
Any advise/direction to documentation and resources would be greatly appreciated...Thanks for reading this far and I hope you're having a great day!
Cheers,
Roger