Operator s Manual Ride-On Remote Controlled Car

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Agnes Peters
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1 Operator s Manual Ride-On Remote Controlled Car By Kevin Franzino Kelly O Neill Jeffrey Peterson Project for Client #14: Samantha Gillard Client Contacts: Geoff and Jenny Gillard: Newton, MA ; ggillard@bidmc.harvard.edu Jane Gillard: Nayden Rehabilitation Clinic 843 Bolton Rd U-1249 Storrs, CT ; jane.gillard@uconn.edu

2 Important Safety Instructions for the Ride-on Remote-controlled Car (RRC) Always remain in control of the vehicle at all times. Practice operation before operating with a passenger. Do not change the given trim settings on the radio transmitter. Doing so can cause undesired results such as the throttle staying engaged passively. Do not touch any frayed or damaged wires. Exposed wires can cause electrical shock and should be immediately repaired by a qualified professional. Do not operate vehicle on unsafe terrain such as steep hills, or terrain with a drop off or cliff. The RRC does not have enough braking ability to prevent rolling down excessively steep hills. Do not operate vehicle on a road or around larger motorized vehicles. The RRC is small and may not be seen by a car, truck or SUV. Do not drive on terrain that is too bumpy. Excessive bumps may cause injury to the passenger. Do not drive in rain or through the water. Steering servo is exposed and susceptible to water damage. Be mindful of the sensitivity settings on the RC controller. Excessively fast accelerations/braking may cause injury to passenger. Do not hit people with the RRC. Collision with a person may damage the person and the RRC and could cause injury to the passenger. Crashing into immovable objects may result in the same as above. Above all use common sense to determine if an action is in the best interest of the safety of the passenger.

3 Parts and Accessories Figure 1. The Remote-Controlled Ride-On Car Figure 2. Radio Transmitter - Battery Elimination Circuit - - Electronic Speed Controller - - Radio Receiver - - Battery - Figure 3. Internal Electronics Figure 4. Steering Servo

4 Features ON/OFF Controls: RED Reverse BLUE Forward YELLOW Turn Right GREEN Turn Left Figure 5. Mode of Operation Figure 6. Safety Harness Figure 7. Off Road Wheels

1. Introduction The RRC is a standard Power Wheels that has been modified so that the vehicle is controlled by a radio RC system instead of the usual pedal and steering wheel configuration.

5 1. Introduction The RRC is a standard Power Wheels that has been modified so that the vehicle is controlled by a radio RC system instead of the usual pedal and steering wheel configuration. The operation of a Power Wheels is similar to the operation of the RRC. The RRC is controlled by a radio transmitter which replaces the acceleration pedal and steering wheel in a normal Power Wheels. Operation of the RRC is as follows: 1. Ensure passenger is properly seated, restrained and safe 2. Turn the power of radio transmitter on 3. Plug the battery into the RRC 4. Ensure the RC controller knobs are set to their recommended positions (see Sec 2.) 5. Use the controls provided in Figure 5 to maneuver the RRC 6. Enjoy! 7. When done, unplug the RRC battery and turn the RC transmitter off The radio transmitter control knobs on the side and top of the controller have set positions they are recommended to be kept in. Figure 8 show the recommended positions. For further information about the function of each individual knob, please consult the manual for RC transmitter provided. Figure 8. Recommended Transmitter Knob Positions 2. Maintenance Electrical After extensively using the RRC, the battery will begin to deplete and will require charging. The battery can be recharged using the existing Power Wheels battery charging cable. Do not keep the battery plugged in after charging is complete. Please see the Power Wheels manual for any additional questions about charging the batteries. When the batteries on the receiver are replaced, the RC transmitter may need to be bound with the receiver again. To accomplish this, first power the vehicle up by plugging in the battery. Turn on the RC transmitter. Next, press and hold the Bind button on top of the transmitter. When the red light on the side of the transmitter stops flashing the process is complete. For more information see the instruction manual for the Spektrum DX3E transmitter provided.

6 Mechanical The tires of the RRC should be inspected to ensure they are capable of supporting the Power Wheels and rider s weight. Driving with deflated tires is dangerous and can cause the vehicle to malfunction. If the tires have low air pressure, inflate them with a standard bike pump or air compressor. 3. Technical Description To construct a ride-on remote-controlled car, a Fisher Price brand Power Wheels was acquired and modified to be remote control, more rugged and safer. Structurally, the Power Wheels remained unaltered. The battery, battery connector plug and electric motors were left unaltered. The manual switch transmission and all associated wires were removed. The remote control (RC) system was purchased separately and installed into the Power Wheels. Figure 9. Electronic Setup The RC system has several key components: a radio transmitter and receiver, battery elimination circuit, an electronic speed controller, and a steering servo. The radio transmitter broadcasts the desired movements of the RRC via two channel communications, one for forward or reverse and one for steering left or right. The transmitter uses multiple pulse width modulation (PWM) signals to communicate with the radio receiver. The radio receiver deciphers the transmitter s communications and divides the signals for each channel into separate channels outputting a standard RC signal. A standard RC signal uses pulse width modulation for communication. Typically, signal duration is 10ms. A pulse of 1ms indicates low, 1.5ms neutral and 2ms high. The battery elimination circuit functions as a power supply for the radio receiver, eliminating the need for a separate battery for the receiver. The battery elimination circuit also functions to provide sufficient

7 current to the steering servo motor. Using a battery elimination circuit built into a speed controller may not provide sufficient current for the steering servo to achieve the maximum amount of torque possible. The electronic speed controller receives the PWM signal and translates it from low, neutral, high to reverse, stopped, forward. The electronic speed controller feeds the proportional amount of voltage from the Power Wheels battery to the electric motors, establishing the drive system for the RRC. The steering servo receives the PWM signal and translates it from low, neutral, high to -45 rotation (left), 0 rotation (center), 45 rotation (right). The steering servo is an electric motor with a potentiometer to measure the degree of rotation of the motor shaft. The servo receives the RC PWM and moves the servo to the appropriate degree of rotation using the potentiometer s position feedback and returns to center when the signal received is neutral. The servo acquired was a 5:1 gear ratio high torque servo. The motor shaft had a servo horn mounted on it. The servo horn was attached to the existing rack and pinion steering system. The servo replaced the function of the pinion, pulling the rack from side to side. The RRC was made more rugged by removing the standard plastic wheels and replacing them with electric wheelchair wheels. The rear axle from the Power Wheels was swapped out for a longer one so the wheels could be doubled up in the back. The Power Wheels was made safer by installing a harness into the seat. This harness gives the rider trunk support, preventing any slouching or falling. The rider of the RRC is also recommended to wear a helmet. 4. Possible Problem Not driving Not turning at all but otherwise functioning Not turning well Not acceleration but steering functions Not accelerating/too much accelerating Vehicle moving without control Possible Solution Check battery levels in vehicle and transmitter Ensure controller and receiver are connected by re- binding Check connection of steering servo to radio receiver Inspect servo linkage to steering rack and pinion Ensure steering trim knob on RC transmitter is in recommended position Ensure the wheels point forward in neutral position (adjust by loosening set screw on the servo motor shaft attached to the gear, removing the gear from the shaft, repositioning the wheels to center and re-attaching the gear to the servo) Check connection of electronic speed controller to batteries and to the receiver. Check forward and reverse trim knobs on top of the RC transmitter Check that throttle trim is set to zero on RC transmitter Check that the speed controller is in auto-calibrate mode (See SyRen 25A Electronic Speed Controller Manual)

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION LAYOUT DIAGRAM FEATURES AND SPECS SETTING AND OPERATION. 1. Transmitter

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION LAYOUT DIAGRAM FEATURES AND SPECS SETTING AND OPERATION 1. Transmitter Loading batteries Reading the LED battery indicators Recharging NiCad batteries Transmitter antenna Changing