Hello,
In this post we”ll be making a Six wheel drive all terrain vehicle (ATV). These are rare and hence expensive robots (at least in India). I made this ATV as my summer project. Dagu manufactures a similar 6WD chassis but its way too expensive (Rs 20000 / $ 250). So I decided to make a cheap Six Wheel drive(6WD) – All terrain vehicle(ATV) chassis out of aluminium and steel and then control it with an android mobile phone using HC-05 Bluetooth module. If you don’t know how to use a HC-05 bluetooth module see my previous instructable here for the guidelines. Of course one can make various sorts of autonomous robots with this chassis using different control systems. I will be using an arduino Mega 2560 as the brains of this robot. Alright, so lets go ahead talk about various steps involved in making such a vehicle.
Step 1: The Design
People think that while building a robot electronics and coding are the two main steps. But its not true, in fact design is the mother-ship. If you got that part right it will reflect in the rest of the system. A good design could provide better efficiency, low cost, good looks etc. The elegant design of this chassis is the best bit of this project.
I didn’t arrive at this design in a day but it took me three prototype to arrive at this one. You can see some of the prototype designs in the photos above. These were made from plywood and were heavy so I thought replacing plywood with aluminium sheet.
Now, the first question that strikes is: Why a six wheel drive for an ATV? As the name suggests a six wheel drive (6wd) means a drive system in which all the six wheels are able to move independently. Well to be honest there is nothing special in 6WD unless you provide a real nice suspension system. Individual tyre suspension gives better traction and more torque on an uneven surface. This design is inspired by six legged insects, although it doesn’t has legs but it sure has similar flexibility.
Step 2: Making the Chassis
There are many other options available in the market if you want a six wheel drive chassis. The reason this product stands out is that its cost effective. I spent Rs 2000 (approx. $33) on this project.
Material/Parts required are:
- Aluminium sheet.
- 12 L shaped motor brackets (steel).
- Six high torque motors.
- Six high traction wheels (10 cm diameter).
- PVC pipe (diameter just greater than motors).
- Screws and nuts.
- A hammer and a nail (for making holes in aluminium sheet).
- Nylon ties
For more detail: Six wheeled All Terrain Vehicle (6WD) using Arduino