Introduction: Smartphone Controlled Wood Stand

The idea: Remote Controlling the pan movement of a heavy LCD TV, LCD Computer Monitor, or any other object using an Android Smartphone or a Windows, Linux or MAC computer or the manual controls on the Stand.

UPDATE: Control Up to 5 Stands at the same time using the Android Application or a Windows, Linux or MAC computer and all this using just one Arduino

Step 1: The Concept Design and the Prototype Videos

- Conceptual designvideo:


-The Stand in action:

Step 2: The List of Tools, Materials and Machines

List of Tools
   - A compass (to draw circles on the wood)
   - A pencil (to mark specific points on the wood)
   - A hammer
   - A caliper ruler
   - A hot glue gun
   - A soldering iron
   - A dust face mask

List of Machines
   -
A lathe machine (to create perfect circles out of the pieces of wood)
   - Adrill press (to drill concentric holes in the wood)
   - A grinder (to shape the tool for carving the wooden marble tracks)
   - A wood cutting machine (to hand the circles from the wood)

The List of Materials
   - A sheet of wood (18mm of hight and 800x500 mm)
   - An Arduino Board
   - A bluetooth module
   - 2 potentiometers
   - 7 led's
   - 1 hight torque servo (Hitec Mega Servo 805BB)  
   - 100 glass marbles with 16 mm diameter

Step 3: Cutting Out the Wooden Circles

>>Safety warnings: Remember to wear glasses and a dust face mask when cutting the wood to avoid injury to the eyes and lungs

Instructions:
   - Start out by drawing three 240mm diameter circles on the wood sheet using the compass (with 120 mm radius)
   - Using the hand sew machine cut out the wooden circles
   - Stack all 3 wooden circles one on top of each other and drill a hole in the center (concentric hole)

From now on, the 3 wooden circles will be refered as:
   - the bottom wooden plate
   - the middle wooden plate
   - the top wooden plate

Step 4: Trimming the Wooden Circles Using a Lathe Machine

Because you cut the wooden circles by hand they are not exactly the same size so you need to carve out the wood from all 3 circles to create 3 circles with the "same size", this can be done by using a lathe machine.

>>Safety warnings: Remember to wear glasses and a dust face mask when using the lathe Machine

Instructions:
   - Pass a screw along the center of all 3 wooden circles and attach a bolt and nut to both ends
   - Attach the 3 joined wood circles to the lathe machine by holding the rear nut
   - Start the lathe machine and carve out the outer perimeter of the 3 circles
   - Stop carving the wood as soon as the 3 circles have the same size (radius)

Step 5: Creating a Metal Tip to Carve the Wood Track for the Marbles

To create a metal tip to carve the wood track for the marbles we use a small piece of metal sized 2x100x20mm

>>Safety warnings: Remember to wear glasses while using the metal grinder

Instructions:
   - Grab the piece of metal and draw a semicircle on the tip
   - The semicircle is 2 mm wider then the radius of your marbles
   - Using the grinder cut out the exterior part of the semicircle
   - Make sure you sharpen the finished metal tool in order to carve out the wood track

This tool we have just made is going to be used to carve the marble track in the wooden circles bottom and middle plates

Step 6: Carving Out the Track for the Marbles

The marble track is located 75mm from the center of the wooden plates

>>Safety warnings: Remember to wear glasses and a dust face mask when using the lathe Machine

Instructions:
   - Attach the top wood plate to the lathe machine
   - Start the lathe machine and carve out the track using the rounded tip tool you just created
   - Stop carving when you have a 6mm depth carved track (use a caliper rule to measure the depth)

   - Attach the middle wood plate to the lathe machine
   - Start the lathe machine and carve out the track using the rounded tip tool you just created
   - Stop carving when you have a 6mm depth carved track (use a caliper rule to measure the depth)

Now you have 2 pieces of wood (middle and bottom plates) with a carved track for the marbles to ride in.

Step 7: The Servo Motor Housing (bottom and Middle Plate)

For the motor housing we are going to carve the middle and bottom plates.

Instructions:
   - Place the motor on top of the bottom plate of wood
   - Align the center of the motor axis with the center of the piece of wood
   - Using a pencil draw the outer perimeter of the servo casing on the wood
   - Cut out the rectangular piece of wood in the center using the hand wood cutter

   - Place the motor on top of the bottom plate of wood
   - Align the center of the motor axis with the center of the piece of wood
   - Using a pencil draw the outer perimeter of the servo casing on the wood
   - Using a pencil draw the outer perimeter of the servo casing on the wood
   - Cut out the rectangular piece of wood in the center using the hand wood cutter

NOTE: You have also to carve a small rectangular piece on both plates in order to make space for the motors wire to pass through

Step 8: Carving Out the Wooden Top Plate Motor Horn Housing

For this step you need to cut the circular servo horn into a rectangular shape in order for it to rotate the top plate

Instructions:
   - Draw a rectangle on top of the circular servo horn
   - Using a hand saw cut out the exterior part of the rectangle

Now we have a costume shaped servo horn, follow the next instruction to make a housing for it on the top wooden plate

Instructions:
   - Place the rectangular servo horn on top of the top wooden plate
   - Align the center of the horn axis with the center of the piece of wood
   - Using a pencil draw the outer perimeter of the servo horn 
   - Cut out the rectangular piece of wood in the center using the hand wood cutter

Step 9: Configuring the Bluetooth Module

The Bluetooth module we are going to use is called Bluetooth Mate Gold - Class 1 : 12dBm
Any serial stream from 9600 to 115200bps can be passed from your smartphone to your module over 100 meters.

To configure the Bluetooth Module check out this tutorial:  http://www.sparkfun.com/tutorials/67

Configuration:
   - Set the Baud rate to 57600

Step 10: One Stand - Electronic Schematic

This step is for making the electronic connections between components to create one stand:

The list of components for the electronic circuit:

   - 1 Arduino Board
   - 1 Servo Motor
   - 2 Potentiometers
   - 1 LED's (Red)
   - 1 Bluetooth Mate Gold module

Wiring:
   - Attach the Bluetooth module to the Arduino Board using the following connections:

      - Ground to ground
      - Bluetooth 3.3V pin to Arduino 3.3V pin
      - Bluetooth RX pin to Arduino digital pin 9
      - Bluetooth TX pin to Arduino digital pin 8

  - Attach the position Potentiometers to the Arduino Board using the following connections:
   - Last potentiometer pin to Ground
      -  First potentiometer pin to 5V power supply
      - Middle potentiometer pin to the Arduino analog pin A1

  - Attach the speed Potentiometers to the Arduino Board using the following connections:
      - Last potentiometer pin to Ground
      - First potentiometer pin to 5V power supply
      - Middle potentiometer pin to the Arduino analog pin A0

- Attach the LED to common ground and to the digital pin 7 (see schematics)

   - Power supply (remember to join a common ground)
      - Power the Servo Motor using a 5V external power supply
      - Power the Arduino board using a 6V-9V external power supply

Step 11: Up to 5 Stands - Electronic Schematic

This step is for making the electronic connections between components to create up to 5 stands:

The list of components for the electronic circuit:
   - 1 Arduino Board
   - 2 to 5 Servo Motor
   - 3 to 6 Potentiometers
   - 2 to 6 LED's
   - 1 Bluetooth Mate Gold module

-Wiring:
   - Attach the Bluetooth module to the Arduino Board using the following connections:
      - Ground to ground
      - Bluetooth 3.3V pin to Arduino 3.3V pin
      - Bluetooth RX pin to Arduino digital pin 9
      - Bluetooth TX pin to Arduino digital pin 8

   - Attach the servo speed Potentiometers to the Arduino Board using the following connections:
      - Last potentiometer pin to Arduino Ground
      - First potentiometer pin to 5V power supply
      - Middle potentiometer pin to the Arduino analog pin A0

   - Attach the position Potentiometers from the stands to the Arduino Board using the following connections:
      - Last potentiometer pin from stand 1 to Arduino Ground
      - First potentiometer pin from stand 1 to 5V power supply
      - Middle servo position potentiometer pin from stand 1 to the Arduino analog pin A1

      - Last potentiometer pin from stand 2 to Arduino Ground
      - First potentiometer pin from stand 2 to 5V power supply
      - Middle servo position potentiometer pin from stand 2 to the Arduino analog pin A2

      - Last potentiometer pin from stand 3 to Arduino Ground
      - First potentiometer pin from stand 3 to 5V power supply
      - Middle servo position potentiometer pin from stand 3 to the Arduino analog pin A3

      - Last potentiometer pin from stand 4 to Arduino Ground
      - First potentiometer pin from stand 4 to 5V power supply
      - Middle servo position potentiometer pin from stand 4 to the Arduino analog pin A4

      - Last potentiometer pin from stand 5 to Arduino Ground
      - First potentiometer pin from stand 5 to 5V power supply
      - Middle servo position potentiometer pin from stand 5 to the Arduino analog pin A5

   - Attach the LED's from the stand to common ground and to digital pins on the Arduino
      - Digital pin 7 to Stand 1 LED
      - Digital pin 10 to Stand 2 LED
      - Digital pin 11 to Stand 3 LED
      - Digital pin 12 to Stand 4 LED
      - Digital pin 13 to Stand 5 LED

  - Power supply (remember to join a common ground form all stands)
      - Power the Servo Motors using a 5V external power supply
      - Power the Arduino board using a 6V-9V external power supply

Step 12: Carving the Arduino and Potentiometer Housings

This step describes the process of carving the Arduino and the Potentiometer housings on the middle and bottom wooden plates.

Instructions:
   - Using a pencil, draw out the perimeter of the Arduino Board and the potentiometer on top of the upper part of the bottom
      wooden plate.
   - Draw a path for the wires from the potentiometer housing to the Arduino Board housing.
   - Using a metal tool and a hammer, carefully carve out the wood inside the perimeter of the drawings.
   - Adjust the hight of the carved housing in order to fit the Arduino Board and the potentiometer

   - Using a pencil, draw out the perimeter of the Arduino Board and the potentiometer on top of the upper part of the middle
      wooden plate.
   - Draw a path for the wires from the potentiometer housing to the Arduino Board housing.
   - Using a metal tool and a hammer, carefully carve out the wood inside the perimeter of the drawings.
   - Adjust the hight of the carved housing in order to fit the Arduino Board and the potentiometer

Step 13: Attaching the Electronics to the Wooden Stand

After carving out the wood from the bottom and middle wooden plates attach the electronic components between them.

Instructions:
   - Use hot glue to hold the electronic components and wires to the wood.

Step 14: Joining the Wooden Plates Together

Now with all the electronic components attached inside the bottom wooden plate, place the middle wooden plate on top of bottom wooden plate.

Be careful not to squash the wires or the components once you close the bottom and middle wooden plates.

Attach the potentiometer nods to the tip of the potentiometers.

Step 15: Adding the Legs to the Bottom of the Stand

Because the motor hangs out from the bottom of the stand we need to add sum legs to the stand.

Instructions:
   - Attach 4 plastic pins to the bottom of the stand as shown on the photos

Step 16: The Arduino Source Code

This step describes how to upload the Arduino source code to the Arduino board using a USB cable

Instructions:
   - Download the Arduino Source Code  
   - Unzip the file to your computer
   - Upload the code to the Arduino using the Arduino software using a USB cable form you PC to the Arduino Board:
http://arduino.cc/en/Main/Software

Your Arduino Board is now programmed and ready to go.

Step 17: The Android Application

This step describes how to install the Android Application in your android device.

NOTE: You have to have at least Android 2.2 or higher running on your Android Smartphone.

Instructions:
   - Download the Android application (.apk)
   - Upload the application to your Android Smartphone using a USB cable from your PC
   - Install the application

   Connect to Stand
   - Run the application
   - Turn on bluetooth module as instructed
   - Scan for bluetooth devices
   - Pair with bluetooth device (bluetooth module)
   - Press Menu button and press Control Stand

Now you are able to remotely control the Stands, you can choose to alter the position and the speed of rotation!

Control the Stands
   - Control the servos speed from 1 to 20
   - Control the motors position from Stand 1 in the range of 0 to 180 degrees
   - Control the motors position from Stand 2 in the range of 0 to 180 degrees
   - Control the motors position from Stand 3 in the range of 0 to 180 degrees
   - Control the motors position from Stand 4 in the range of 0 to 180 degrees
   - Control the motors position from Stand 5 in the range of 0 to 180 degrees

   Disconnect from Stand
     - Press the menu button and select disconnect from Stand

NOTE: You have to have at least Android 2.2 or higher running on your Android Smartphone.

Step 18: The Computer Application (Win, Linux and MAC)

This Application runs on a Windows, Linux or Mac machine using  Java RXTX library.

Please read this following article on how to configure RXTX on Windows Linux and MAC:
http://arduino.cc/playground/Interfacing/Java


These following steps describe the Windows version (COMPORT):

Step 0: 
"Installing" the RXTX on a Windows machine

   - Download the files at http://rxtx.qbang.org/wiki/index.php/Download
   - comm.jar or RXTXcomm.jar goes in c:\...jre\lib\ext\
   - win32com.dll or rxtxSerial.dll goes in c:\...jre\bin\

Step 1: In order to run the Windows Application you need to pair with the Bluetooth module first, this is done by following the next    steps:

   - Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers

   - Now Select:

   - Add a device

   - Select the Bluetooth device and press next

    - Pair with pin code - 1234

Step 2 : No that the Bluetooth device is paired with you Computer you just need to discover the COM Port.Go to the My Computer icon, right click and select properties

   - Go to device manager

   - Check for the Bluetooth COM port

   - COM18 ( Bluetooth module is associated to the COM18 port in my personal computer)

Step 3: Now that we now the associated COM port, open comand line by typing cmd , than navigate to the file location and type:

      java -jar multistandcontrol.jar COM18

You will now have access to the stand via your Windows Blootooth enabled device

For configuring the "COMport" on a Linux or a MAC please read this article: http://arduino.cc/playground/Interfacing/Java

Remote Control Challenge

Second Prize in the
Remote Control Challenge

Wheels Challenge

Participated in the
Wheels Challenge

Hurricane Lasers Contest

Participated in the
Hurricane Lasers Contest