I'm working on a project to run a set of five remote control rovers for a group activity (6-8 year olds). They will be used in bushland, so no internet would be available, everything has to be standalone.
I'd built and programmed them using a cheapo IR remote and receiver on which works as I want indoors, but have now realised the range when using in the sun is about 5-10cm, which isn't going to work. The rover is just basic with a pico, motor controller and OLED screen.
I'm now trying to find the simplest (and cheapest) way to change it up to use another control method. I've been reading all day between wifi and bluetooth, wifi looks to be just within my coding ability, and bluetooth info seems a bit thin as the functionality was only recently added. Whichever approach I take, it looks like I'm up for two pico w's per rover, and having to create a controller from scratch on one of the picos.
Any suggestions for which approach would be easier, and any recommended tutorials out there? I've found heaps for wifi, but struggling to find a good bluetooth one (coding skills are basic to intermediate).
I also though about getting cheap bluetooth game controllers, but can't find anything that suggests this would be easy with a pico.
Edit: or any suggestions on how to boost IR remote/receiver range?
Thanks!
I'd built and programmed them using a cheapo IR remote and receiver on which works as I want indoors, but have now realised the range when using in the sun is about 5-10cm, which isn't going to work. The rover is just basic with a pico, motor controller and OLED screen.
I'm now trying to find the simplest (and cheapest) way to change it up to use another control method. I've been reading all day between wifi and bluetooth, wifi looks to be just within my coding ability, and bluetooth info seems a bit thin as the functionality was only recently added. Whichever approach I take, it looks like I'm up for two pico w's per rover, and having to create a controller from scratch on one of the picos.
Any suggestions for which approach would be easier, and any recommended tutorials out there? I've found heaps for wifi, but struggling to find a good bluetooth one (coding skills are basic to intermediate).
I also though about getting cheap bluetooth game controllers, but can't find anything that suggests this would be easy with a pico.
Edit: or any suggestions on how to boost IR remote/receiver range?
Thanks!
Statistics: Posted by gjs31 — Tue Jun 11, 2024 6:24 am