remote controlled car

Remote controlled car made out of a coke can. Works much better than usual straight line/reverse steer car from which the radio is taken; turns round & round on the spot in reverse. To make the car work, it is essential to understand the rocker principle. The rocker levers one end of the coke can off the ground. Works better with a steel coke can than an aluminium one because it has more inertia.








This is how you make holes in the middle of a coke can




The next one uses the radio from a car which has forward/reverse/stop options, it uses a device called an omniwheel .



It steers by rotating the omniwheel clockwise/anticlockwise. One of the most difficult aspects of steering mechanisms is making them self-centering, the omniwheel solves this problem. The car can be controlled very well although it has no forward/reverse/stop control.
Here is an example carrying a camera, it is made from a 2 channel rc toy car so it has forward/reverse control



youtube movie


If you convert a car to articulated steering it corners much faster, almost within its own length


it must have a self-centering servo. Because its appeal doesn't depend on speed but manouverability it can use a very economical battery arrangement. Because you can put the batteries anywhere you can get very good weight distribution.


This is a simple coke can car that can be made just with a motor, pulley & battery without any soldering or battery holder



The two wires are held against the battery terminals with a rubber band; the frame is made out of a single length of fence wire passed through the holes in the can then bent round in a loop to form a frame. Two beads are needed to prevent the rim of the can rubbing on the wire loop. The weight of the motor balances the battery so there is very little friction on the ground, it doesn't matter which is forward/reverse.



This is a more sophisticated model which avoids obstacles



there is a universal joint made from a bendy drinking straw attached to one end of the can; this works a bent wire crank horizontally above the can which is attached by a connecting rod to the battery. The battery is mounted on a pivot arm & so is moved back & forth by the connecting rod. Because the battery is so heavy relative to the weight of the machine the car moves very erratically and continues to do so even when it encounters an obstacle. This usually causes it to get round the obstacle.







good site for cheap motors etc
my email is davidvwilliamson@hotmail.com
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