Tweeting Race Car

The tweeting Race Car

What it Does!

LabRat1 tweets Info, statistics and (some) commentary as it turns laps around a race course!

What it tweets

• Race driver change notification (via text message commands) and displays summary info
• Report Last lap time and lap counts by driver (Using GPS and start/finish line detection logic)
• Report Top speed for driver and team (via GPS)
• Report peak Cornering, Acceleration, braking GForce by driver and by team (via Accelerometer)

Fun stuff

• Via a twitter @mention or via direct text message it can change the color on an RGB rope light. The Rope light decorates the top of LabRat1 for night-time racing fun! This is made possible via RaceCapture programmable PWM outputs.

To change the color, tweet at the car (or send DM) using the following format

@ASL_LabRat1 color <theColor> A Direct Message, if we're follow Where <theColor> is either red , green, blue, white, off or a hex code like 7f007f

(Note, we're using twext to forward mentions to RaceCapture- this service seems a bit laggy. If we're following you, a direct message seems to work much faster.

Ingredients

Here's how we designed it

RaceCapture

RaceCapture is our in-beta-testing Data Acquisition and control system. It has 32 channels of inputs and outputs driven by a 32 bit ARM processor. Learn More

Narobo DroneCell

For cellular network connectivity, we chose this neat module from Narobo Narobo. It connects to RaceCapture via one of two available serial ports

GPS

For GPS we're using a 32 channel 5Hz GPS smart module made by SanJose Navigation. More Info

RGB LED rope Light

From LED Light we purchased a length of RGB LED light, bodged together a Mosfet amplifer board from Radio Shack (bleah!) and connected it to 3 PWM channels on Race Capture.

Accelerometer + Gyro Module

We're using a custom built RaceCapture#4_axis_Accelerometer_.2F_Gyro_module 3 axis accelerometer + Gyro connected to Race Capture via the SPI expansion port.