Making a puppet journey an RC tricycle

Impressed by a remote-controlled Radio Flyer tricycle by which Kermit pedaled round at Maker Faire New York 2018, Donald Bell wished to create his personal model that would convey comparable magic to individuals who work together with it. It started with the identical Radio Flyer tricycle as within the authentic video, besides this one was modified a bit in a different way.

An overarching purpose that Bell wished to attain was retaining the tricycle as inventory as potential, which meant inserting all the electronics beneath the rear axle. Motion is supplied by a single DC motor slightly below one of many wheels that connects through a timing belt for added security. In the meantime, the trike is ready to steer because of a 24V high-torque servo motor that rotates to push a rod backwards and forwards, thus turning the entrance fork to both aspect. Controlling all of those components is an Arduino Uno that receives info from an RC receiver module.

Relatively than utilizing a extra difficult digital pace controller (ESC) or a elaborate RC receiver, Bell as an alternative opted for a fundamental one which generates a PWM sign on a number of of its output pins that adjustments based mostly on the transmitter’s joystick place. As soon as the code had been loaded onto the Arduino and a battery linked, he lastly added his partially home made puppet that each grips the handlebars and pushes the entrance pedals on the wheel.

Extra particulars about this mission will be discovered on Instructables and seen within the video beneath!