MiniTank Mark II - A longer test
Hi everyone! This week I took the time to fix/repair/adjust/tune the current version of the mintank so I can keep working on the next, hopefully last iteration of this minitank. In this video I show the minimum modifications required to make it work but I've prepared for the next iteration a whole lot of new modifications that should make this thing bomb proof reliability wise. About the VESC configuration that is not really shown in the video, the only two settings that I modified were:
1.- I made it be driven by RPM target instead of Current target, that way once I pushed the stick it tried to reach the RPMs configured. When it was configured by current the issue was that it required a lot of current to make it going and once it started moving all that current threw it into superspeed mode, hence the bursts of superspeed seen in the first tests.
2.- I increased the maximum current allowed to be drawn from the batteries, that fixed that issue that can be seen in the first tests were one of the two treads became unresponsive for a while here and there. The thing is that once the VESCs detect that overcurrent they enter safe mode and take a while to restart.
If you have any suggestions for the next iteration please leave them here or in the comments so we can see if I did everything you thought was required to make it better and if all you thought was necessary was in fact so.
I'm also planning a few workshop improvements because winter is coming fast and I was wondering if you were interested on me showing those improvements on the channel, probably not as Friday videos but as an extra midweek video. Just let me know please.
Thanks!!
Comments (12)
... danke und mache weiter so - Thank you, and keep up the good work.
Bitte schön!!
Try and program your left-right steering to be proportional on your radio. That way you can have a bit more control at low speed and slow turning, but still you can give it the same full gas for fast turning when moving the steering stick further!
I'm pretty happy now with the amount of control that I have (meaning that I can make it go wherever I want reliably). I have a four step mixing on the transmitter just for the "tank mode" which took me a lot of time already, I'll keep in mind your advice because I'm sure I'll need it in the future. Thanks!!
For tread grip could you not print the first few layers of the track in TPU and then maybe switch to PLA for the rest of it?
I'd need a dual extrusion 3D printer or something like the Chameleon3D system for that, there should be an interlock between the flex part and the rigid part. Either way, this one is not meant for the concrete nor the road so even as it might seem alarming the lack of grip on hard surfaces, the tracks have been designed to grip on loose terrain (if I manage to stop the thing from breaking of course). Thanks for the suggestion!!
Cable ties can be used as tension device :) Just upgrade to 12mm wide! I think thats the first 'drift tank' I've seen before. You might have discovered a new audience with that. (Especially if the megatank can drift you on hard surfaces...)
Super Ties!! If I do it right the big one will be able to drift with me on top even on sand!!
yes please keep us updated regarding your Workshop improvements.
Noted, thanks!!
First 😂
Haha