SIP & PUFF CONTROLLED MOTORIZED KAYAK

A highly disabled (quadriplegic) person can fully control the kayak via a SIP & PUFF Switch (Picture Steven Hawking or Christopher Reeve in their wheelchair).

The on-board Arduino Duemilanove Microcontroller puts the Motor Driver into Serial Input Control Mode and accepts Sip&Puff Switch inputs from the Rider. It then sends appropriate Serial Commands to the Motor Driver to operate the two Drive Motors. Split-second (0.1 - 0.6 seconds) Sips and Puffs control Left and Right Turning, respectively, and slightly longer (0.6 - 2.5 seconds) Sips & Puffs control REV and FWD movement. Even longer Sips and Puffs Stop the motors or command them equally to Full Speed. Steering is accomplished via differential motor speed.

At any time, the Safety Observer can (turn on the RC Transmitter and) transmit a Full Throttle command which the Arduino detects via this Receiver Channel being connected directly to it.

The Arduino then sends Serial commands to the Motor Driver to put it into RC Input Control Mode.

The Safety Observer now has full direct control of the Motor Driver via the AILERON and ELEVATOR channels of the Receiver being connected directly to the RC Inputs of the Driver (in MIXED Mode). The kayak is now essentially a large robot.

If the Safety Observer decides to pass control back to the Rider, a Throttle Off command is Transmitted, or the transmitter is simply turned off. The Arduino detects this condition and sends Serial Input Control Mode Commands to the Motor Driver giving control of the Motor Driver back to the Rider via Sip&Puff inputs into the Arduino. Note that the Arduino controls the Motor Driver via Serial Commands Only.

The Rudder Channel of the Receiver is reserved to actuate high-current switches which will physically disconnect the Drive Motors from the Motor Driver.

Top speed is just under 3.7 MPH, according to my GPS. After 4 hours and 6.2+ miles, the motors were still running strong, producing ~3.3 MPH into the wind, and the main battery still showed 12.15 volts. The Motor Driver and Arduino Controller, as well as the Sip&Puff Interface, will continue to operate down to 5 volts.

My total cost for this project so far, not including the Spectrum DX7 Transmitter, is around $1300, with the biggest expenses being: Motor Driver ($430), 2 Min Kota Trolling Motors ($240), Aluminum ($135), Battery ($90), and Charger ($60). Also: LEDs, Cables, Connectors, Switches, and I.C.s ($175+), RC Receiver ($60), Cam Bolts ($40), Backup Arduino uController ($35), etc... Note that I actually did make it all the way through my Design & Development process without blowing up the original Arduino!

Although I have been contemplating this project since 2006, obtaining the Arduino uController really gave me a jump-start, and I officially started working on it in mid-June of this year (06/17/09). I had the project completely working on August 20, 2009. Compare this to the Cal Poly Solo Quad project (Google: Cal Poly Solo Quad). Cal Poly engineers considered Remote Control Assist impossible to incorporate into their design.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• adaptive
• kayaking
• sports
• SIP
• PUFF
• CONTROLLED
• MOTORIZED
• adapted
• robotic
• KAYAK
• QUADRIPLEGIC
• DISABLED

[Myfoop]

After returning from the Middle East as a high-level quadriplegic I haven't really found much for someone with my level of injury to do outdoors. I can't move from the shoulders down basically and this is right up my alley! Can you give me more information? Is there anything adaptable to things like cameras or any other type of vehicle such as a Ranger or something?

[kayakdiver88]

@Myfoop My adaptive devices are currently limited to those involving kayaking. My designs are presented and detailed in my web site: DisabledAdventurers.

If you live in or near So. Cal (I am in Ventura County), you should consider contacting me through my web site and perhaps we can get you out on this kayak.

I have a link in my web site to a simulator program that can give you a head start on how to control the kayak. Look under the Adaptive Fixtures - Powered Sip&Puff Kayak tab.

[pianistaclasico]

Nice work, its good to see someone is doing something useful for highly disabled people. Video quality is great by the way, what camera did you use?

[kayakdiver88]

This was taken with my Olympus 1030SW . I added music because there is an annoying random click in the audio. It doesn't matter which mem card I use. As the camera is quite new the clcik is probably due to a mfg. defect. I let the warranty run out and am now stuck with it.

My video on assembling the system was made with a Canon SD970 camera I bought for my daughter. The video & audio on that camera is absolutely flawless, as is everything else with that camera. Highly recommended!

[CSPhysics]

This is great!