RC vehicle use in airsoft

[n1ckh]

As I'm an rc car and boat racing/building enthusiast

 

I have an old 1/12 scale tank hull with everything in it (need to swap plastic gears to metal) and all working of 1 transmitter, wouldn't take me much to put a 'first person view' (fpv) unit onto it for looking around corners, in buildings etc

 

I'd love to combine my RC knowledge/background with airsofting

 

Any thoughts/ideas people have

 

Nick

 

Ps- I know people have used drones for aerial reconnaissance (at the sandpit) but you cant really get them in buildings

[Lozart]

We tried using an A-Team van to deliver remote dets but the first trial blew the crap out of it :-(

 

Shame really, it played the theme tune while it was going along.

[Chock]

I guess if you were in touch with some milsim people, they might be interested if you could knock up a wheelbarrow Mark 9 from your tank chassis, or failing that, even one of the older less capable ones from the seventies they used to use to disarm IRA bombs. It would be kind of interesting to fight your way to a bomb and then have to deploy a wheelbarrow to disarm the bomb against the clock.

 

The original wheelbarrows had a water jet which could fire at a device to disrupt the electrics, a shotgun which could be fired remotely to destroy the integrity of a suspect device or shoot out a window on a car to allow interior access, plus the facility to attach a tow rope to a vehicle so that it could be towed away to be destroyed at a safe distance from things. So there's some scenario ideas right there.

 

I should think it would be relatively easy to use an R/C tank chassis to knock up a reasonable facsimile of a wheelbarrow, since the wheelbarrow does look like a skeletal smallish tank anyway: A springer shotgun could certainly be fired by a simple servo arrangement and you'd only need one more for elevation, positioning the vehicle itself would manage the lateral aiming. You could even have a stab at making the water jet out of one of those super soaker water guns for a laugh. Of course you'd need a way to detect that the thing had successfully disarmed the 'bomb', but I should think any kind of pivoting plate attached to a sensor would be able to detect a BB hit, or it could even just be a paper target to represent a device. Any old cheapo camcorder which could transmit to a mobile phone would do for aiming and steering.

 

You might also wanna try using servos to remote detonate timed BFGs, sort of like a claymore clacker or remote IED. String a few of those across a woodland site and it'd be an instant win if you got the timings right

 

Or you could get an M249 and try making one of those remote sentry guns like they have in the movie Aliens.

[n1ckh]

Some good ideas there guys

 

Lozart - shame your van blew up buddy, the idea of planting dets is a cracking idea

 

Chock - so that's where the idea of a wheelbarrow came from

 

The platform I can make is easy enough to do, I've got a camera I mounted on rc heli's, I can tilt and pan the camera using my transmitter (all on one stick with throttle and steering on the other) it also transmits live pictures to my glasses plus the camera itself has a 'record' function so everyone else can see it when mission complete

 

Its all doable with a shotgun, camera and dexterous arm

[DEF]

How about an airsoft version of this?

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C70R7oo4jMc

[n1ckh]

Easy enough to do

 

I could either do it using a transmitter to fire & move using the gearing system from a kids crane, I've done that for my rc recovery boat

 

Or

 

Motion sensors with auto training and firing (I've got a mate who can write a program)

 

I've just been watching on youtube a ready made hummer with airsoft barrel on the back made by a company called ignite, the cars to noisey, the rotation and elevation are to slow but that's easily sorted

[Mr Monkey Nuts]

Instead of a shotgun I would suggest an aeg on it, you have to cock a shotgun for one shot, where as an aeg can have a remote switch bridging the trigger contacts reducing the need for servos and complexity.

[BBrotherwood]

There have been a couple of visits by drones at my local site:

[Samurai]

Imagine how dangerous that would be. Will it recognise the stupid guy with the eyepro off?

 

Create a bomb disposal or a recon drone if you must but giving it weapons would not be smart in my opinion.

[Happy]

Plus if it shoots, you can guarantee people will shoot it back

[n1ckh]

Monkey - a shot gun was an ecsmple, i could use a remote on/off switch to trigger the uhhh trigger lol, I'd need something like an M249 with box mag to eliminate mag changes unless I can find a way around it

 

Brotherwood - drones have been done and of things fail, it falls like a rock, I saw that video and tbh it doesn't impress me (knowing what happens when that sort of thing goes tits up)

 

That's why I'm thinking a vehicle, the sentry gun is an awesome idea, would need recognition software or just a camera to make sure your shooting the right people

 

I'm going to start drawing up ideas on the sentry gun as its an awesome project to try

[Jambo88]

Monkey - a shot gun was an ecsmple, i could use a remote on/off switch to trigger the uhhh trigger lol, I'd need something like an M249 with box mag to eliminate mag changes unless I can find a way around it

 

Brotherwood - drones have been done and of things fail, it falls like a rock, I saw that video and tbh it doesn't impress me (knowing what happens when that sort of thing goes tits up)

 

That's why I'm thinking a vehicle, the sentry gun is an awesome idea, would need recognition software or just a camera to make sure your shooting the right people

 

I'm going to start drawing up ideas on the sentry gun as its an awesome project to try

You could just get a m4 type drum mag. Could you not use servos to control the trigger and maybe fire selector switch?

[n1ckh]

Good point on the drum mag, something where you dont need to wind it all the time jambo and trust me that I've already got all the electronics, mechanicals & battery mounting in my head, just need to jot down ideas of the whole support frame

[Jambo88]

Good point on the drum mag, something where you dont need to wind it all the time jambo and trust me that I've already got all the electronics, mechanicals & battery mounting in my head, just need to jot down ideas of the whole support frame

What sort of size is the vehicle?

[sp00n]

my new toy

 

[Russe11]

Hmm, a Goliath would be cool

[n1ckh]

@spoon - that's to small

@russe11 - that's to big mate

 

I've got my scratch built rock crawler to use 1/10 scale or my 1/12 scale tank hull, the tank hull would be better cause it has tracks but no suspension

 

My rock crawler can climb near vertical, 4 wheel drive and 4 wheel steering but to narrow a platform

 

@jambo - the frame would need to accommodate an M4 if I'm to use a drum mag mate

 

Gearing would come from a toy crane for left and right, a small motor and electronic speed controller attached to the gears to give it quick acquisition, a servo would pull the trigger using and on/off remote switch

 

All controlled from a transmitter so you can sit back and watch

[Colonel Kurtz]

Would love to see this in action, but would an airsoft site let you use it? I think you'll have issues if it's got a gun on it, pyro's you can prob get away with most places, there's a guy who occasionally brings his RC pyro car to The Mall in Reading.

I'd suggest a big shield on the gun wired up to a sensor, if it registers a hit then it powers off the gun/whole device for a few minutes.

 

I think it needs to be possible for an opponent to disable/stop it for you to bypass half the bitching it'll prompt if used at a site, or someone just kicking it.

[Russe11]

Small target on an arm connected on an off switch?

 

A goliath style pyro tank would be the safest option. Just use a colour of smoke thats unusual and agree a blast radius. when hit make it set off the pyro so people aren't tempted to run up to it an disable it. I would imagine that the blind firing rules are an insurance condition that would mean sites can't allow a gun fired by remote control.

[n1ckh]

Some good points raised there guys

 

A thought had occurred, if people are happy for it to be used and in the interest of fair play, either side can use it or even Marshall can use it

 

I think the rc vehicle is the way to go but for recce purposes only, make sure an area is safe to go into or check doorways, buildings etc before entering

 

A sensor which activates an alarm and/or flashing light to say its been hit would be better as not all sites slow indoor pyro use

[Jambo88]

Small target on an arm connected on an off switch?

 

A goliath style pyro tank would be the safest option. Just use a colour of smoke thats unusual and agree a blast radius. when hit make it set off the pyro so people aren't tempted to run up to it an disable it. I would imagine that the blind firing rules are an insurance condition that would mean sites can't allow a gun fired by remote control.

 

Would a live feed camera count as blind fire? You could attach a phone to the robot and FaceTime it and have a live feed to the robot.

[Colonel Kurtz]

i don't think there's a clear answer, but its definately enough of a question for most sites to veto it being used just incase. It's getting like the USA here and people are just terrified of being sued.

 

i think you not being in direct control of the gun is enough to get the veto.

 

it's a shame as this is the kind of free-thinking awesomeness i'd love to see more of in airsoft. don't let it put you off, worse-case scenario you'll have to get people to agree to it as a special event and maybe sign a form saying they wont sue you.

 

If you can come up with a good couple game scenario to focus on it, you'd have a much better chance of getting it used somewhere, enough to make it a selling point to attract people, like you say letting others use it, not just something people have to endure.

 

maybe sceanrio where the teams have to find and aquire the remote control unit first. perhaps declare an area inbetween the two sides spawn as radioactive and can only be passed through by the RC? Have a few 'rouge' players /marshal guarding an area that can only be taken down by the RC? Or maybe somekind of hostage scenario where only the RC can enter the hostage zone without triggering a response. Just something that'd make having the RC a tactical advantage as well as amusing novelty.

[n1ckh]

That again is some goods sir (old habbit colonel so I apologise)

 

The next 2 sites I'm going to, I'll having a chat in the head marshalls ears and see what there views would be

 

Man I love this forum, so much great ideas and feedback from people

 

I've got no problem with everyone using what I create, its the whole point of it, get everyone involved and make it feel worth while, give a twist on things

[Colonel Kurtz]

Quite alright soldier, as you were (I'm keeping the rank until martin sheen sneaks into my house with a machete, although might be able to make a deal involving getting Charlie off crack...)

 

Keep us updated with your progress, is definately something the forum will want to see!

[n1ckh]

As I said before, I've the platforms (and I'm not on about the 70's shoes lol)

 

I need to draw out some plans of what to do

 

Dexterous arm

Live feed camera

Maybe a small pistol ??