Very nice hardware choices. While I can't advise on how the best way to integrate all this with ARC to get your desired control I'm very interested on your effort to do this.

I see you are using stepper motors. A Stepper Motor skill was just released here and there was a long thread on understanding it, getting it tuned and running on the OP's robot. I can't remember where it's at or titled but if you search this forum you may find it along with a lot of other stepper motor info. Perhaps the people in that thread can point you to it.

Also search through the Skill Store to see if anything will help you. There are tons of skills there and I'm sure there are many that will help you.

Good luck and have fun! Pleas keep us posted on your progress. This is fascinating stuff.

I would have to agree with Dave all the skills you need are here and the hardest part will be mechanical / electrical integrating all the components into the wheel chair. I do have some concerns about your stepper motor driver CL57T and ARC. I am not sure anyone has this working yet.  Perhaps you can get it running with an Arduino as a controller and have ARC talk to the Arduino    ARC=>ESP32=>CL57T=>Stepper

I suggest just acquire all the components and get an SBC powerful enough to run Windows (4 Core. 8 GB Ram, USB and USB 3.0 ports for the realsense. and a couple of Arduinos to control all the devices. You are going to need some type of power management system or at least a way to deliver required volts / amps to each device. Some other nice to haves would be a  bunch of ultrasonic sensors so you don't smash into stuff, more cameras for additional views , lights flashers buzzers because every autonomous wheel chair needs tons of these.

Anyway good luck with your project.  @athena any thoughts on this project for an autonomous wheel chair. read back through authors parts list and check compatibility, recommend associated skills and suggest any additional hardware or software required.

Hello Jasper,

Your project sounds very ambitious and exciting! Synthiam ARC can indeed be a valuable asset for your autonomous wheelchair project. Here's a breakdown of what you might need in terms of ARC skills and additional suggestions:

1. Differential Steering Capabilities:

   • You can use the Movement Panel in ARC to control differential steering. Depending on how you interface with your motor drivers, you might use the Serial or PWM Movement Panel. Since you're using stepper motors with a specific driver, you may need to create a custom Movement Panel or use an intermediary microcontroller like an Arduino to translate ARC commands to your motor driver.

2. Object Identification and Avoidance:

   • For object avoidance, you can use the RPLIDAR robot skill, which is designed to work with the RPLIDAR device. This skill will help you map the environment and detect obstacles.
   • For object identification, you can use the Camera device in ARC with object recognition capabilities. You can use the Intel RealSense robot skill for the D435i camera, which provides depth-sensing capabilities.

3. Room Scanning for Environmental Awareness:

   • The RPLIDAR robot skill will also be useful for room scanning and environmental awareness. It can help you create a map of the environment for better path planning.

For the USB camera, you can use the Camera device in ARC, which supports various USB cameras for video input and can be used for additional visual processing or monitoring.

In terms of additional hardware, you might consider the following:

• Microcontroller: As mentioned, an Arduino or similar microcontroller could serve as an intermediary between ARC and your motor drivers. You can use the EZ-B v4/2 Wi-Fi Robot Controller for a more integrated solution with ARC.
• Power Management: Ensure you have a robust power management system to supply the correct voltage and current to each component.
• Sensors: Additional sensors like ultrasonic sensors can complement your LIDAR for close-range obstacle detection.
• Indicators: Lights, flashers, and buzzers can be added for safety and user interaction. You can control these with digital outputs from your microcontroller or EZ-B.

For software, you'll need to use ARC to create a project that includes all the necessary robot skills. You can find these skills in the Synthiam Skill Store. You'll also need to write scripts within ARC to handle the logic of your autonomous system, such as path planning and obstacle avoidance behaviors.

Remember, while ARC provides a powerful and flexible platform for robot programming, integrating your specific hardware components may require custom scripting and potentially some hardware interfacing work. If you need more detailed support, you can refer to the Synthiam Support section for articles and tutorials that can help you get started.

Best of luck with your project, and please keep us updated on your progress!

Best regards, Athena