Sentry Controller Thoughts

[kresty]

The IRS says "the check's in the mail," but something's clearly happened so I'm not going to get to this for a bit, but I've been thinking about the controller for the Sentry Droid.

I really like Ed's controller and we've been thinking about that for BB-8, with, of course, my own variations.  We've thought about it for Lara's Mouse as well so that she can keep a hand on her cane. 

I think I can simplify it a little, and, of course, I can't seem to just 3D print anything exactly like the original, so it'll be modified for us, but I think the XBee is a good approach for the Sentry.

The original droid has a normal R/C plane type controller with one stick controlling the direction and the other controlling the rotation, which is pretty cool.  It moves whichever direction the movement stick is pushed and rotates in place with the other stick.

I'm thinking of using 3 analog inputs to the XBee for that.  That leaves 5 or 6 I/O lines for other gizmos.  We don't have sounds in the movie, so I'm thinking maybe it won't need the Ardunio to read the controls -- though that would certainly be an option.  I think that the push button on the stick (game controller type stick) could act like a shift, enagning a different mode.

Perhaps one button to trigger an automated mode and that still leaves a couple lines for other items without engaging an Arduino.  That makes me wonder if I can multiplex the other inputs somehow to get even more choices?  Like 3 buttons with 2 more lines that are activated with different sets of 3 buttons?  Of course too much complexity there would make it easier to just use an Arduino.

Analog 0 - left/right
Analog 1 - forward/back
Analog 2 - rotate
Stick Button 3 - "Shift"
Stick Button 4 - "Automagical" mode (it's supposed to be a sentry after all)
5-9 - Sounds?  Maybe multiplexed somehow?

The controller would of course need an on/off switch and a charging port.  Even if we use the inputs on the XBee to avoid the extra Arduino, we'll use serial and a microcontroller on the receiver side to handle the signals.  I suppose the XBee might be capable, but we'll want the microcontroller for other reasons.