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E14 Fun & Games Project Launch - RC Hammering Rubber Duck in a Tub & the PixyCam Rubber Duck Chase Tank

robogary

This project competition isn't really due until March 2026, but here come the holidays in November and December pushing out project build time.

My Fun & Games project entry will be part of a fun STEM presentation called "Ducks with Hammers" at the Mysticon scifi convention  https://mysticonva.com/  in late January 2026. 

It needed to get fleshed out now, so here are the specifications: 

1.  The RC Hammering Duck in the Tub is a radio controlled truck chassis using an Arduino Nano to translate the radio receiver's servo PWM signal to a PWM signal & direction bits to control the H bridge. 

The Nano also controls a DFPlayer Mini for the sound effects. When the Duck is moving, it quacks. When the hammer swings, a tilt switch wired back to the Nano will fire the HAMMER IMPACT audio file. 

The Hammer is controlled by a third channel on the RC transmitter/receiver.  

The Nano also limits the FWD & REV speeds because the main power is a 11.1 V Lipo battery , and the original truck chassis was 6 or 7 V . The chassis steering is upgraded from a hi impedance DC motor to a standard high torque RC servo. 

The design includes a main fuse, a main power switch, and a motor power switch so the Duck can be turned on without any chance of the wheels turning. There will be several buck P.S. for 11V to 6V for servos and 11V to 5V for DFplayer. 

The Rubber Duck will be illuminated from underneath to make sure it is seen from a distance.   There are a couple pushbuttons hidden so the DFplayer can play "Disco Duck" and "Rubber Duckie". 

Kids will have fun driving and hammering with the Hammering Duck in a Tub........

.....but thats not all.........

2. The Hammering Duck is accompanied by an autonomous HERO vehicle (or a VILLAIN vehicle depending on your viewpoint of a hammering Duck as virtuous or as a scoundrel) called the PixyCam Rubber Duck Chase Tank  .

The PixyCam Rubber Duck Chase Tank   will autonomously seek out the RC Hammering Duck in the Tub via PixyCam. Can the Tank find the Duck  ?  Can it catch it ? What will the Tank do to the Duck ? 

Will the Duck Hammer the Tank ?  That all remains to be seen. The PixyCam will provide the relative location of the Duck and its pixel(block) size from front center. Havent decided if tank steering will be by bang-bang regulator or PID.  

The Tank speed is alot slower than the Duck, but the Tank will not stop unless it detects an object in front of its treads (using ping sensors).  I'm thinking the use an Arduino R4 for the tank CPU, using the R4 LED matrix to show when its locked in to the Duck or searching for the Duck. 

The Duck Chase Tank in continuous and relentless pursuit of the Duck will be entertaining. 

Now that I've spilled the beans, what kind of crazy features do you folks think could added to these robots for more childish sparkle to the STEM show ?          

Parents

  • Is the 'tub' going to be like a motorised bath tub ? 

    Will it contain water sloshing around (bubble bath? bubble machine?) with the rubber duck floating in it or will the duck plus tub be a single fixed unit ?

    What is the hammer connected to - the tub or the duck ?

  • in reply to beacon_dave

    the RC truck chassis is inside a kitchen wash tub, no water, altho a fun idea, that would make a mess on accel and decel. I have to transport these robots in my car so a bathtub would be awesome, but not practical. The controls are on top with the duck unless I can get them under a panel inside the tub and make it look like water surface, maybe with fake plastic bubbles. I did a foamboard mockup and looked pretty good. The rubber duck was the first thing I ordered, its only 6 inches high. I'd like the hammer to swing from the duck, but realistically it will probably get mounted on the tub because of clearance needed for the hammer handle to swing the hammer head 135 degrees or so, from straight up to hitting the floor. The hammer servo is a Tower Pro SG 5010,  doesn't fit well in the rubber duck.I considered using SG90 micro servos for about 2 seconds, they have 1/3 the torque of the sg5010, the horns are small, not great to attach things.  Im also good at failing them or them failing me. 

    A typical hammer needs minimally 25 kg cm torque just to move, 5 times what the SG 5010 puts out anyway. I made a foam hammer head last night to try out. I sure as heck dont want a young kid driving around an rc vehicle with a full size hammer on it :-) they will break something or someone. 

  • in reply to robogary

    In theory a bath tub could be scaled to any size you want and in any style but I guess a kitchen wash tub would be an off-the-shelf item and fairly robust. Could have perhaps shaped the hammer to resemble something a bit like a bath brush or shower head to keep with the theme. Could also have a smaller rubber duck as the hammer head.

    I guess there is a fine line between ducks with hammers and robo-wars Slight smile

    Any light effects on the hammer ? A chase sequence up the handle and a flash as it strikes.

    Indicators on the tub linked to the steering, brake lights when stopping, reverse lights when backing up ("danger... duck reversing" sound effect.) ? 

  • in reply to beacon_dave

    Great minds think alike ! I'd considered putting lights in the hammer face but put that on the back burner thinking it was subtle for the amount of work it takes to wire leds into the hammerhead. 

    Good idea of a sound track when it runs reverse, maybe a backup beeper noise like a truck. 

    I have another hacked RC power wheels car that I take to these STEM events that has the full blown auto headlights, brake lights, reverse lights , etc so I didnt see the added benefit for 2 vehicles with similar features.  

    https://youtu.be/Ttq8KGbPVmE?si=ZMGHsojsgQtWJQTJ

  • in reply to robogary

    Could you animate the duck in any way ?

    e.g. rotating head, LED eyes. Moveable wings.

    Dress it up, give it attitude ? Minion duck with denim dungarees and goggles. 

Reply Children
  • in reply to beacon_dave

    Good ideas. Rubber Duck is only 6 inches high, its main purpose is a target the pixy cam tank can uniquely recognize. Pixycam was pillaged from a prior project. It has problems recogniizing colors when the ambient lighting changes, so the rubber duck is going to be lit from underneath. Some cob LEDs were scavenged from free Harbor Freight flashlights to it it. Sad thing, I blew the cob leds today, maybe for the best because they run hot.

    Faults become opportunities, so Im thinking to put white and red leds under the duck. White leds when running and red if it gets hit by a chase tank laser. 

    I have WS2812B led bars in hand, but suspect to have to use another arduino to operate them because the i2c may interfere with the pulse in command reading the radio receiver pwm. Need to keep it simple. 

    Now I get to put on my sourcing hat to go LED shopping.  :-) 

  • in reply to robogary
    robogary said:
    Now I get to put on my sourcing hat to go LED shopping.

    I'm not sure if we should take that literally after having seen some of your other hats Slight smile