This crawlspace crawler FPV robot is a fairly simple build. [Jeff G] bought a boxy chassis kit with frame, motors, and wheels, mounted lights and camera, and we get to see it in action (video, embedded below).
As always, the details are where it’s at, and his overview covers most of the high points. [Jeff] went for relatively slow 60 RPM motors so that he’d have plenty of grunt. The FPV setup is particularly simple – he bought a cheap Flysky i6 transmitter and receiver, and an Eachine TX05 all-in-one camera and transmitter. An interesting choice was a USB UVC video receiver so he can watch the footage on a computer, tablet, or a cell phone, which means he didn’t have to shell out for expensive FPV goggles. We also love the sticks-and-zip-ties used as feelers, letting him know when he’s about to get stuck, but that also serve as a visual frame for the camera.
The FPV Contest just came to an end, and we’ll be announcing the winners soon! If you find any inspiration there for your own project, [Jeff]’s simple basis here should get you started on the right track.
Thanks [Lilja] for the tip!
I’ve used an RC car to run a pull string for ethernet cable up in a drop ceiling. In a big Burlington Coat Factory, saved moving the ladder probably 20x, it wasn’t FPV, we could hear where it was from underneath and got it started on a clear path initially from a ladder.
I also used an RC car to pull ethernet under the house. I also had a cheap cellphone as a wifi webcam, and LED lights. I had a powerful neodymium magnet attached to the end of the ethernet cable, and another magnet on a long stick so when the car arrived near the destination, I just had to stick the magnet stick into the hole and the ethernet cable snapped right to it. The magnets would attract at about 5 inches, so I had a pretty easy time getting the ethernet cable out. Also had a rope attached to the RC car, because it did get stuck a few times, and I was able to pull it back.
Boeing used to use ferrets to run cables down pipes and linear spaces with only one exit. If you don’t mind the occasional bit of ferret poop they’re actually a fairly effective partner animal to work with. A bit spastic with a tendency to play, but affectionate and quite bendy.
Good luck steering one with an FPV rig though. I could barely get ours to come when I called.
Never heard that,but that’s cool.
“Saved moving the ladder probably 20x”
Supervisor: “You could not have finished that job by now!”
This is the E.M.S. Electrical Solutions version of the crawl space rover; https://youtu.be/LyX0iB42T3c
This is awesome, I’ve been working on a tracked bot with an articulated servo arm to help me run cable in crawlspaces (too many damn spiders). After all the gearbox issues I’ve had this looks very appealing
You will see giant spiders and camel crickets and whoa if you encounter a rodent. It’s almost like another world. Unlike the Mars’ explorers with dust on the solar panels you WILL need cobweb clearing for the FPV optics. Lots of it. It will ball up with dirt on the wheels and arms and stick on. Let’s see if it really is stronger than steel.
Open flame seems to make it all vanish in an instant. Hit the nest, gone in a flash of flame with falling blobs of them hitting the floor. Maybe make a first pass visit with flame and an extinguisher to make it safe and clean for human work. Popular scene in scifi when 8-Legs get out of control. Burn ’em!
Sounds like a possible reason for a sudden “vacation” in a hotel with the family. Or are you planning to stick a fire extinguisher on the rig as well?
What tracked platform are you using?
I play with rovers made from the lower halves of Heng long 1:16 tanks with COTS hobby electronics and ardurover. Tend to use the plastic gearboxes till they shit themselves then swap them for metal ones. all with plastic tracks and suspension. They last a good while of outdoor use and have plenty of grunt. I imagine they would be more than suitable for a duct runner.
The man with 1,000 Klein Bottles UNDER his house has a tiny forklift for his crawlspace.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k3mVnRlQLU
This was awesome! Just when you think you have seen everything on the internet lol
Clifford Stoll is a treasure. Among many notable things, tracked down a KGB hacker back in the 80’s (and he’s an astronomer, not an infosec professional): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGv5BqNL164
His book is absolutely great if you’re a hacker, a real old-school hacking whodunnit.
Yeah, I was sad when my copy of The Cuckoo’s Egg went missing many years ago.
…What.
It takes all sorts doesn’t it. Truly amazing
You had a similar article a few years ago:
CRAWLSPACE WAREHOUSE INCLUDES MIDGET FORKLIFT
That’s not similar, that’s Cliff Stoll!
https://hackaday.com/2015/06/24/crawlspace-warehouse-includes-midget-forklift/
And an epic project! Thanks for reminding me of it.
Indeed, Cliff Stoll is not very similar to anything else in this world.
But the world would be a poorer place without him.
Equip it to dig for treasure. The skull marks the spot.
Nope… They don’t want to find the Treasure of Oak Island too soon.. gotta milk it for more episodes.
I had to crawl under my house myself. Kids these days.
Kids is about the only ones that could fit in mine.
My kids refuse to go under the house and I can’t say I blame them. This idea has occurred to me on several occasions but I always ended up putting on the coveralls and a ski hat going for it. Misery.
Looking back on the hours that I spent under this damn house just trying to figure out what was going on, $600 bucks seems like a fine deal to me.
Crawl spaces are the worst, cheapest, laziest garbage in home building. And in California at least, there’s a whole industry now dedicated to bolting the stupid house down because they fall off the piers in earthquakes. If only they had proper foundations and basements. As a native New Englander that’s sort of thing leaves me puzzled and dismayed every time I have to deal with it. Oh God and don’t even get me started about rats, skunks, possums, snakes and black widow spiders. And their excrement. And if a pipe is leaking you have to lay in that muddy filth.
There’s a dude on Imgur who is a building inspector in LA and the shit he posts just blows my mind as a European. I’ve seen better construction techniques in Bulgarian farming villages never mind one of the richest countries in the world in an earthquake zone.
This is the dude, he does some interesting posts:
https://imgur.com/user/alphastructural/posts
The bottoms of peoples foundations have to be under the frost line. When they’re down there anyhow it would be insane not to build a basement.
CA’s frost line is about an inch. Also earthquakes.
Did you miss home last weak when it was 30 below zero? I didn’t. Something like 50 people died of ‘snow’.
The worst are the tension slabs. The tension wires in those are wear items. I don’t get that. A house on a slab that’s guaranteed to break in 40 years. Then again, wouldn’t do to have the foundation be a pain to demo when the house falls in.
I’ve got 3 foot tall crawlspace, pilings and a shear type concrete foundation on the front 3 meters. Structure is dimensional redwood./ smug
Wish I had a basement. So much stuff goes down there. Don’t miss the cold one bit.
On GP’s post:
We wished we had a house to crawl under…
Also done this with a rc tank. However used a old analog cctv camera with some rg6 attached to it. Came in handy as a pull line or when the tank got stuck since I mostly did this in residential homes in between floors. Pop out a can light or ac vent to minimize drywall damage.
Very cool. It is not a perfect vehicle for the rock crawling, especially as in the footage its axis doesn’t tilt and therefore, the other front wheel doesn’t touch the ground, when the other goes over the obstacle. Yet, the crawler can do the job, and it provides a maintenance look around in the crawl space.
Going further into the twenties, using robotic assistance is becoming a main daily thing, and the Ai might not even be present, because why should it be when the user is capable of doing it. Not talking about solving the problems in fly.
Brits have a crawlspace spray insulation foam system. I watched thier sales video…
My wife’s family Cottage in Wisconsin has a crawl space that would benefit with an insulation sprayed on the underneath floor.
Not in USA yet..
Can’t crawl under with out excavating a path…
https://great-home.co.uk/using-robotics-for-underfloor-insulation-of-suspended-timber-floors/
That’s a canadian invention, i’m sure you can find a supplier in the USA for icynene foam.
There was a human skull under there
Hopefully just for looks…
The fear of spiders is real!
B^)
If you are building new, plan ahead and build a crawlspace big enough that you can inspect it with your car.
My friends in Austin, TX wanted to have a basement when they built their house 🏠. But couldn’t find a contractor willing to dig one, or they wanted a lot of money to do so. The ground in their neighborhood is very hard.