I Need Some Help With a Level Indicator Project

[superjon]

I was approached by a close friend of mine with an idea he wanted to know if I could help him with. He has a business that installs chain link fences for people. He has a Bobcat skidloader with a post hole auger/digger on the front. The post hole auger is very large and is raised up in the air and then lowered down to the ground and continually lowered as the auger winds into the ground creating a hole for a fence post. The auger motor and auger bit are very large and hang on a 2 axis pivot point so that it can be leveled by gravity. See the attached picture to help create a visual. The sensor assembly can be mounted on the side of the auger motor to get the best sense of the auger's actual position.

What I am looking to do is use possibly a multicopter flight controller or just a sensor board of some sort and feed that data into something like an Arduino board or an OSD board (like the multicopters use) to create a video output feed. Then, in the operator's cab of the skidloader, the operator will have a small LCD screen with a basic graphic displaying the actual position of the auger vs the actual position of true level with the earth. It does not need to be anything fancy.


A few of the design goals are:

-Simplicity and low cost
-The sensor assembly needs to be battery operated for simplicity
-The video feed needs to be wireless RF from the sensor assembly on the auger motor to the LCD display in the operator's station
-Prefer working with existing low cost components to keep things simple and affordable


I am sure there are questions that need to be asked so feel free to ask away and I will answer them as they come in. Thanks ahead of time for your help with this.

Jon

 

[Arouse1973]

Hi Jon
Would an simple character LCD work that displayed the X and Y values of a digital accelerometer. This is about as simple as I can think of.
Adam

 

[Arouse1973]

Here is a link to one that you could connect to the Arduino.
https://learn.adafruit.com/adxl345-digital-accelerometer/overview
Adam

 

[Martaine2005]

Being as we are talking "Big Boys Toys", I have a very low tech idea.....Cheap ish too...
Should be repeatable too, as the motor mount can't move.
Spend 10 minutes getting the auger bit dead level with a level...
Put a small self levelling lazer level in the cab.
Mark the cross levels on the back of motor housing facing the operator.
Well, I did say lo-tech!!

Martin

 

[superjon]

Being as we are talking "Big Boys Toys", I have a very low tech idea.....Cheap ish too...
Should be repeatable too, as the motor mount can't move.
Spend 10 minutes getting the auger bit dead level with a level...
Put a small self levelling lazer level in the cab.
Mark the cross levels on the back of motor housing facing the operator.
Well, I did say lo-tech!!

Martin

Martin,
You are the master of simplicity! Unfortunately that will not work in this application as there are various augers with various lengths and the terrain can vary such as hills and such. So having a fixed crosshairs that would always be at a different height.

As well, the side to side axis would be easy to shoot with a laser, but I don't think there would be a practical method to visualize the forward back tilting (Y Axis) for the driver to see.

It's still a very good idea, though.

Thanks

 

[Martaine2005]

I will not go down without a fight!!!!
Drill a bigger hole and use a level on the post..

Nah, go with the μcontroller and join the "dark side"..

Martin

 

[superjon]

Hi Jon
Would an simple character LCD work that displayed the X and Y values of a digital accelerometer. This is about as simple as I can think of.
Adam

Adam,

I think I understand what you mean by "displaying the X and Y values." Would the operator simply see two sets of numbers each representing the X and the Y axis and he would simply adjust the position of the auger until the numbers reached zero?

I guess my first thought is would there be angle be represented by a positive or negative number so the operator can determine which way he needs to adjust the auger position?

I think this could work, but I have to remember we are not dealing with a techno-savvy person that will be operating the equipment and using this sensor readout.

Jon

 

[superjon]

I will not go down without a fight!!!!
Drill a bigger hole and use a level on the post..

Nah, go with the μcontroller and join the "dark side"..

Martin

Martin,

By microcontroller, do you mean the one that Adam mentioned in the earlier post?

Also, I hear the dark side has cookies!

 

[Arouse1973]

Adam,

I think I understand what you mean by "displaying the X and Y values." Would the operator simply see two sets of numbers each representing the X and the Y axis and he would simply adjust the position of the auger until the numbers reached zero?

I guess my first thought is would there be angle be represented by a positive or negative number so the operator can determine which way he needs to adjust the auger position?

I think this could work, but I have to remember we are not dealing with a techno-savvy person that will be operating the equipment and using this sensor readout.

Jon

Yep you got it. You can display anything you want. "Left a bit, right a bit, too far numpty"

 

[Arouse1973]

What sort of accuracy are you after? If it's 1 degree or greater then you might not even have to calibrate the unit.

 

[hevans1944]

I would get fancy and make the LCD display a two-axis bubble level. Center the bubble then auger away. Maybe communicate from the sensor mounted on the auger to the display in the cab with Bluetooth. How are you going to get power to the sensor? Battery operated? Tell me the brand so I can purchase stock in that company.

 

[Arouse1973]

Sorry Hop I already took out the patent

 

[hevans1944]

Sorry Hop I already took out the patent

Impossible. I already have this app on my Galaxy 4 smartphone. Or, maybe you get a royalty every time I use it?

 

[Arouse1973]

Impossible. I already have this app on my Galaxy 4 smartphone. Or, maybe you get a royalty every time I use it?

Why do you think I drive one of these. Just had it professionally cleaned today.

 

[Martaine2005]

Arduino

Martin,

By microcontroller, do you mean the one that Adam mentioned in the earlier post?

Also, I hear the dark side has cookies!

Yes, the Arduino is a micro.
Are they chocolate chip? I could be tempted!!

Martin

 

[hevans1944]

If you have an Android smartphone laying around, with the Best Level app installed, you could build a little shelf and attach it to the auger with a mirror at a 45 degree angle to view the cellphone screen from inside the cab... maybe mount a cheap telescope in the cab for a better view, use Velcro to attach phone to shelf.

 

[Martaine2005]

maybe mount a cheap telescope in the cab for a better view

Now I don't know if this is "Tongue in cheek", but it should be!!
Hop, that's worse than my idea....
Made me laugh though.... Mirrors at 45 degress?.....A shelf with velcro?......On a Bobcat?
What about power?



Martin

 

[hevans1944]

Now I don't know if this is "Tongue in cheek", but it should be!!
Hop, that's worse than my idea....
Made me laugh though.... Mirrors at 45 degress?.....A shelf with velcro?......On a Bobcat?
What about power?

View attachment 23274

Martin

Tongue in cheek? How absurd, you know I only give my best advice here. As for power,

A few of the design goals are:

-Simplicity and low cost
-The sensor assembly needs to be battery operated for simplicity
-The video feed needs to be wireless RF from the sensor assembly on the auger motor to the LCD display in the operator's station
-Prefer working with existing low cost components to keep things simple and affordable

I actually think my idea could work if the operator in the cab had keen vision and could see the smartphone screen without optical aid.

However, on second thought, it might require building a box around the phone and mirror to shade the LCD screen from ambient light. My phone LCD screen is virtually unusable outside in daylight conditions, and totally unusable if the sun is shining brightly. Sooo... I guess we are back to using a cheap, dedicated, battery-powered, MEMS accelerometer sensor with a wireless Bluetooth data link to an LCD "video" display in the cab. So much for simplicity and low cost. <sigh>

I actually have all the parts on hand needed to build this, except for the MEMS accelerometer, available for about three dollars from Sparkfun Electronics. That would be two Arduino Uno boards, two Bluetooth shields, and an LCD shield. Just add some software and... Voila! A remote level sensor you can strap onto the auger while working, and take home to play with after work. Plus it's a lot less expensive than even a used, second-hand, Samsung Galaxy 4 cell phone. I still think the velcro and mirror approach would be kewl though.

 

[hevans1944]

The MEMS accelerometer I linked to in post 18 needs some support circuitry. Use this one with the Arduino Uno.

 

[Alec_t]

If you want dirt-cheap/simple, how about a 2-axis spirit level on the motor housing, and a 45 degree mirror above to view it?

Edit: Or one of these might be easier to mount.