The Walking Car

Annika Tharp, Brody Erb, Christian Gonzalez

Problem Statement:The walking car is an innovative way to promote and encourage kids of all ages to be physically active.

--How it works:

You control the car with you body movements, the way it works is the harness goes around your waist and buckles. You put on both the gloves and one foot sensor. You control the car by continuously running which increases or decreases your speed and stops the car if you stop running, along as squeezing your index finger and thumb together on either hand to turn that direction and corresponding LEDs will flash like turn signals. If you keep running and squeeze both hands together the car will go in reverse with LEDs blinking like back up lights.

--Materials:

1 sheet of acrylic .128 inches thick
https://www.interstateplastics.com/Acrylic-Clear-E...

4 motors

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13302

4 Wheels

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13259

4 Yellow LEDs, 2 Green LEDs, 2 Blue LEDs, 2 Red LEDs

https://www.amazon.com/VKmaker-Yellow-Assorted-Em...

1 force sensor

https://www.adafruit.com/product/166

Copper tape

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10561

50ft ethernet cable

https://www.walmart.com/ip/50-FT-Feet-50Ft-50-Fee...

50 pack 100 ohm resistors

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13761

2 esp8266 NodeMCU with motor shield

https://www.amazon.com/ESP8266-Development-NodeMC...

1x400mAh battery

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13851

4 AA batteries

https://www.amazon.com/Energizer-Batteries-Battery...

battery holder

https://www.amazon.com/Gfortune-Cable-Plastic-Bat...

Gloves

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Women-s-Touch-Screen-G...

--Tools:

3D printer

Laser cutter

Soldering gun

Hot glue gun

Wire strippers/cutters

screwdriver phillips/slotted

--Code to run:

https://github.iu.edu/anntharp/ABCs_GroupProject/t...

--Website:

link to the team website for all documentation

http://abcgroupproject.weebly.com/

Step 1: Laser Cut Car/gearbox Lid

Laser cut the cars body, chassis, and the lid for the gear box.

Step 2: 3D Print Gear Box

3D print the gear box which will house all the wires for both gloves the force sensor foot strap and a battery.

Step 3: Assemble Car

Fitting all finger joint laser cut pieces together, using hot glue, glue inside the body around the base connecting the body to the chassis and along the vertical 4 corner sides leave all top pieces un glued until the end.

Put the motor mounts through the designated slots, there should be 2 motor mounts for each motor. Have the mounts long side go through the mounts facing down with the larder side or the top of the mount left inside the car.

place motors between the motor mounts in the middle of two then putting screws the holes place nuts on the back side to hold it all together, place on the tires repeat 4 times for each motor and tire.

place the motor wires through the holes in the middle of the chassis combine both left side motors wires together both reds together both blacks together then insert into the motor shield red wires A+ black wires A- then repeat same steps for the right side placing red wires B+ black wires B-.

Step 4: Wire All LEDs for Car

Strip the wires out of the ethernet cable for the casing and wires then separate into different piles according to colors of wire for a neater work space. This wire and casing will be used later on.

wire 4 Yellow LEDs with a resister on each LED in parallel

wire 2 Green and 2 Blue LEDs together with a resister on each LED in parallel

wire 2 Red LEDs with a resister on each LED in parallel

Attach LEDs to there designated pins on the nodeMCU esp8266 motor board located in the car already where the motors are connected to.

Step 5: Wire Gloves

Cut copper tape circles about half inch in diameter. Use hot glue or puffy paint for the copper tape to stick to the gloves. Place a stripped wire that was taken out of the ethernet cable on the copper tape and solder, run wire about 5 feet long. Place wire inside open ethernet cable casing. repeat this twice for each glove. So each glove should have a wire about 5 feet long soldered to each coper tape patch. Now repeat this for each glove. Once finished you should have two gloves each glove with 2 wires one to each copper tape patch. Placing all wires inside ethernet cable casing. Electrical tape around the casing spanning the 5 feet length then cut casing off leave wires sticking out for later use.

Step 6: Wire Force Sensor

Solder wires to each prong on the force sensor tape force sensor to the strap. Sew extra bit of strap over force sensor to protect it from bending.

Once wires soldered run about 8 feet long through ethernet casing. Electrical tape around casing cut extra casing off leaving wires exposed for later use.

Step 7: Assemble Gearbox

Place the strap through the holes in bottom of the gearbox for the waist strap. Connect each gloves wires to there designated pins on the NodeMCU esp8266. Connect the force sensor foot strap to its designated pins. Wire battery to motor board. Red wire got to A+ black wire to A-.

Step 8: Test

Turn everything on and test run. You should have a fully built car along with a built harness. The way it is coded you will want to turn on the car followed by turning on the gear box wait about thirty seconds and everything is connected. Buckle the harness around your waist put on both gloves, put on the force sensor foot strap and begin to play with The Walking Car