Pilot Trak 3.0 – Final Design Update

Well, it all fits together! Just add receiver and a battery, and it could be up and running, though I still want to try making my ESP32 wifi fpv control unit work. Chassis / Cab / Rails print in 3 pieces and snap together, wheels screw on.

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PilotTrak V3

So I think one of the biggest challenges in getting into a Tiny Trak is cost and complexity. I previously used N20 gearmotors, but the cost of them plus an ESC is a little overwhelming. Not to mention, having to buy hardware / screw kit to assemble. I'm working on a TinyTrak design which will be 100% 3D printable including TPU tracks, without use of screws or tools for assembly. All axles clip into the frame, and all frame parts are designed to snap together.

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PGR – 3D Printed Revolver

Still in development, a few light primer strikes, but works mostly okay! Have since lengthened the firing pin to account for variations between cylinders. This isn't designed to be practical or useful (it's neither), more of an engineering challenge to myself. 3D Printed designs are a bit of a challenge for something like a gun, because plastic really doesn't have very good tensile or shear strength, so you have to overbuild components, and carefully design parts that support compressive forces. This generally leads to pretty bulky designs, but with a bit of metal in the right places, a compact design is possible, albeit with less features than a standard revolver. Ammunition is currently only 22 shorts, but a larger frame and a metal insert for the breech face could change that. 22 Shorts are my favorite test ammo because when a part fails, it's usually less catastrophic than larger, more powerful ammo.

Non Plastic Parts used: Drill bit (Firing Pin) Steel tubing (Cylinder Liners) Springs (Striker & Cylinder Indexing) 5/16" Ball Bearing (Cylinder Indexing) M3 Screws (Front Sight, Trigger Assembly, Rear Sights) M5 x 65mm Screw (Cylinder Center Pin)

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TrakBot

Autonomous Tiny Trak, a quick and dirty project adding simple autonomous function to one of my PilotTrak platforms. As always, no microcontrollers here, just a simple digital circuit. Sorry to disappoint, there's absolutely no tracking or mapping going on here, he's honestly got the intelligence of a rather bright potato. Easy to make though, all off-the-shelf circuits.

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Pathfinder Mini – Logic Gate Robot, no CPU!

Based off my larger walker, the Pathfinder Mini is a cost-reduced version which requires far fewer parts, much less plastic, and is a bit more simple to build. I will be releasing the plans for it as soon as I can, and considering the reduced part count, I may be able to sell complete kits instead of my usual plans or plastic-only kits.

If it were economically feasible, I would also like to make a batch of circuit boards to include with the kit. As of right now, it's too complex to build in point-to-point wiring, but a PCB with proper traces would be nice. I'd have to ditch the LEDs as a cost saving measure though as well. Or, you know, I could just use a microcontroller like a sane person.

This circuit was really just a fun project to prove I could build this idea from my head into an actual working robot. It does work quite well, and schematics and an explanation of the design is listed below.

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AutoBB

Ideas for a small BB shooter, possibly for a TinyTrak.
Integrated hopper, auto-feeding, uses single N20 GearMotor. Requires 8x3x4mm ball bearings and M3 screws.

Hopefully someone else can improve on this?

 

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PilotTrak V2 Mini

While the PilotTrak V2 is a huge improvement over the original PilotTrak, it is quite a bit bigger. There’s something about the cuteness of an absolutely tiny tank-like vehicle, and it’s nice to be able to pocket it and go anywhere. Solution? PilotTrak V2 Mini.Continue reading

PilotTrak V2

Currently very close to a final version 2 of the Pilot Trak. This version is FAR more capable than the original. It has greater ground clearance, wider tracks, better cog mesh, a battery cover, more room for electronics, grippier tracks, and overall reduced cost due to removal of ball bearings. Pulling cable through drop-ceilings is now a piece of cake with these improvements!

Once released, I may discontinue the V1 to focus on improving the V2. While the V1 was good for moderately flat indoor ground, it has a tendency to tip and has very little room for electronics, making builds difficult.

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