Scope creep and spec changes haunt the RC Hammering Duck.
The bad news first:
- Murphy's Law - plenty of spare IOs to start out ====> digital IO is nearly used up. I'd cry the blues to have to rewrite the code to use arduino analog as digital inputs and do rewiring.
- No matter how many power distribution points are provided for power supplies and grounds to eliminate daisy chains, there arent enough. Add more, not enough again. Put some daisy chains in the wire harnesses, still run out. arrgghh
- In spite of strategically placed blocking diodes, when I downloaded new code with main battery power on, opps, the electrons found a sneak path thru the IO and buck power supplies
and the Arduino Nano let out a nice cloud of smoke. Luckily only the Arduino suffered as a sacrifice to the project gods.
Interesting News, the RC Hammer Duck in a Tub Prototype to be demonstrated at the December 2025 Va Western Community College Invitational Robotics competition.
https://www.virginiawestern.edu/news/2022/12/22/virginia-western-robotics-competition-helps-students-glimpse-the-future/ link describing the 2022 competition.
I'll take a video and post if it ends up happening.
The Good News:
- The prototype is basically operational, the Duck moves forward & backward with limits, and steering.
- While moving the Duck quacks. There are 2 hidden buttons to play songs Disco Duck and Rubber Duckie.
the hammer hammers and has a hammer sound effect using edge detect on hammer handle tilt switches.
- Wood spacers with washers glued on top allowed a foam board top to go overtop the controls, held in place with small magnets.
A Duck Target was added to the Hammering Rubber Duck, with a VS1838 IR receiver at the bullseye.
I had build an IR LED 38kHz Burst pulse stream transmitter on another Arduino Nano to test the prototype receiver circuit. I was thinking to build a "Laser Pulse Cannon" to mount on the chase PixyCam tank.
After testing and writing some Arduino code, found the POWER ON button on every TV remote in the room must use a burst pulse to wake up the TVs, and they also triggered the VS3818 Arduino code.
** New idea ** rather than the chase tank disabling the duck with a laser fire, why not involve another user to interact with the game.
While one person is operating the RC Hammering Rubber Duck, allow another person to try to disable the RC Duck for a short time by a disguised IR remote as a WDD (Weapon of Duck Destruction), allowing the
autonomous Chase Tank to catch up to it.
When the Rubber Duck is disabled, the Rubber Duck white lighting turns off, a red light underneath turns on, sound funeral music plays, and some disabling of the Rubber Duck happens.
The functionality depends on leftover IO space, space for more parts on the Duck Tub, and what looks like good fun.
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