I've watched this project for a while hoping it might be possible to use for my robotics project. I am one of many R2 Builders and we make replicas of R2-D2 from the Star Wars films.

Currently most builders use standard RC hardware to control their robots because it's tried and true for controlling a 200 pound chunk of aluminum and steel safely. But really the locomotion is the only reason to recommend standard RC hardware because every RC transmitter on the market really is designed for planes or helicopters but for robotics they all lack one critical feature... a way to get a data payload to the robot... preferably a customizable touch screen that has the ability to send a data payload and receive and display telemetry data. On option for FPV video on the screen would be nice too but if I had to choose I'd be more interested in using that screen for menus of commands that could be sent to the on-board controller.

Because in the end driving him around and turning the dome around is only 25% of what goes into an R2-D2 "performance." Triggering lights and sounds, running pre-determined behavior scripts are all part of controlling the robot when out in public with him.

Presently the system I use in my R2-D2 is called the Joystick Enhanced Directional Input (JEDI) system written by a very ingenious fellow builder.

The JEDI system has a micro-controller inside R2 that listens to the RC receiver's output. The JEDI has pre-defined "behavior" scripts and they are triggered by pressing an RC button that has been designated as a control button (channel 5) and drawing something with the left joystick. So pressing Button 5 and drawing an L with the joystick and releasing channel 5 is decoded by the system and initiates the "Leia" script where the dome lights flash, and it plays the message from Princess Leia from the film. There are scripts that open dome panels, play sounds, all kinds of behaviors that aren't related to driving the robot, driving is always assigned to the right stick. The system has a command line interface too but there is no way to talk to it with RC hardware alone.

This system, while inventive, requires a lot of memorization of strokes to trigger actions. A touch screen with a button labeled "Leia" that when pressed sent a serial string "Run Script Leia" to the CLI would be SO much better for robotics use.

Since off-the-shelf controllers don't allow any customizable payload in addition to RC traffic most people looking for some kind of remote interface have to resort to a secondary system, such as an iPad communicating over WiFi to signal effects and non-locomotion events. As you'd expect the RC and WiFi fight if they are both 2.4GHz and WiFi in general is a poor method since R2-D2 is in essence a metal can so a single reliable method of communication is preferable.

My initial reading on this project made me think it could be perfect for our needs... obviously OS-RC development has gone though a lot and I am sure it's still geared mostly for flight uses but have hope it could serve robotics hobbyists well also.

Given what I've outlined, is the OS-RC something that could:

Have reliable RC control while offering:

1. Menu of touch screen buttons that could send a user-definable data payload or at very minimum execute RC macros assigned to a button.
2. Receive and display telemetry data, battery level, temperature, etc from sensors in the robot.
3. Display video from an on-board camera


Sorry to be so verbose, I appreciate your time and really hope OS-RC ends up being the perfect solution that it appears it could be for our hobby.


Ben Lewitt
Grand Rapids, MI

Hi Ben and welcome to the forum. Glad you have been watching the project and its progress.

I cannot say for sure if it was you or some other builder who also was working on an R2D2 setup but i created a special menu and features on OSRC SPECIFICALLY for applications like yours (thus the mode name "Robot" )

So in short, yes, you shall be able to do more than you would really expect. To be honest i didn't put in all the features i wanted into this mode yet but i am sure it won't be long before the control system starts building up features after its release.

Once again thank you for noticing the project.

It may have been me as I did propose robotics functions from an R2 perspective as I am not only a builder myself but am also on the R2 Builders Council. If it was me, it was a long time ago, before this forum I think. But at least one other builder has discovered this project and posted about the potential for R2 Builders.

Last time I checked sales weren't open to the US, but that was sometime last year... I still try to keep an eye on it and hopefully once available I will give it a shot.

Lacking a currently available RC solution some have started on a path to build custom controllers using arduinos and XBees but nothing has bubbled to the top quite yet. I am curious about how customizable the OS-RC is overall, it'd be nice to have a more capable, actual RC unit that's easily configurable.



Ben

Don't think that Sales to the US shall be a problem once OSRC is released so no worries there.Keep monitoring the progress since the 3D printer shall begin working soon. There are many features that were added since the initial OSRC prototype so i cannot imagine an application where OSRC would not be able to help out.