Radio Flyer pushes the envelope when developing battery ops, often requiring new powertrains. To improve the speed with which we could develop a powertrain that meets desired specifications safely, I proposed the idea of a modular remote controlled test mule.
Working with the prototype shop, I designed, programmed, and built essentially a giant RC Car, able to take any DC voltage from 12-60V, any 300-800 series DC motor, any ratio gearbox, and any diameter wheel for validation.
The transmitter controls the throttle, steering, max speed, and ramp times and displays a live readout of the current draws from the motors and battery, the speed of the car in mph, and the temperature at the end of a thermocouple probe. It also has connection points to log voltage and current data with a data logger for easy use by QA engineers.
It was programmed and built with an Arduino Mega, FlySky FS-i6X Transmitter with iBus Serial communication, 16.8V Steering Servo, Cytron SmartDriveDuo Motor Controller, 1024 PPR encoder, 6 current shunts, and a I2C J-Type thermocouple breakout board on a modified Go Kart frame.
RC Test Mule Demo Video
