south-pointing chariot

Hey fellas, this is a really cool forum and I'm glad I joined in.

I'm supposed to make an electronic version/proto of the South-pointing Chinese Chariot, and I am really quite low in ideas at the moment. I know I need an electronic compass that basically detects True North and all that, I know I also need a microcontroller that should do some basic functions like locate by how many degrees its been displaced so it can return to its say, Zero Position or True North as the case may be..., calculate how much its moved, distance-wise, etc.

I intend having either a little wheel, or a Robot form of it, or have display like an LED or something like that.

I totally appreciate anyones ideas and I am willing to supply any more info anyone can want.

Cheers
Cliff

This is the third recent thread on the same weird school project.

Try doing a search for "chariot".

Mike.

blueroomelectronics said:

This is the third recent thread on the same weird school project.

Click to expand...

Yes, teachers/lecturers have no imagination.

Mike.

Pommie said:

Try doing a search for "chariot".

Mike.

Click to expand...

hi Mike,

This isa chariot.

EDIT:

These are plans for the chariot.

The south pointing chariot was a neat mechanical trick but a rather pointless electronic project.

I'm pretty sure that with an electronic compass, pic and stepper motor I could make a pointing device that always pointed north. Mount everything (including batteries) on the pointer and drive the base and you have a north pointing device. You could then mount it on anything you like and it will point North.

Mike.

I don't think they're allowed to use a compass, it's supposed to replicate the mechanical one.

blueroomelectronics said:

I don't think they're allowed to use a compass, it's supposed to replicate the mechanical one.

Click to expand...

hi Bill,
Look at the pdf in my EDIT.

blueroomelectronics said:

I don't think they're allowed to use a compass, it's supposed to replicate the mechanical one.

Click to expand...

The OP stated "I know I need an electronic compass" so I assumed it was allowed.

Mike.

I've built a couple of devices that used differential odometry, and they just don't keep their heading very long. The electronic compass is good if you are outside and away from anything, but indoors or near a car or something that needle swings all around. I would suggest adding a gyro to the compass and differential odometry, then working out a "confidence" algorithm based on environment mapping.