Build Thread- Kinetic art laser "gun" with stepper motors

[BioMicro]

This is part of larger kinetic art display case, a new "Kineticon" which will be a coin-op entertainment machine. It's appropriate here as I want to use miniature stepper motors to control 2 axes. I hope to be able to get help from the controls part of the forum.

Started by design in SolidWorks. See video here of basic idea and two degrees of freedom:

YouTube- Kinetic Art Laser Gun 1.avi

YouTube- Kinetic Art Laser Gun 1.avi

Original Kineticon worked for years and brought in thousands:

http://www.bixworks.com/kinpage.htm

[Ernie34]

Probably be better off using standard RC servos and a microcontroller.

[BioMicro]

yeah, servos are way easy. I worry about the life of servos maybe brushless ones are the way to go.

[BioMicro]

I'd like to buy lasers, but there are so many cheapo chinese ones - my first batch was all junk. Maybe one for laser sights would be good - looking at this one VLM-650-01-LPA-ND from Digi-Key. $16 each, kinda pricey, and I need three. One thing about these is they need to go for years, that includes all parts. My last kinetic machine ran for thousands of hours.

[BioMicro]

Got the lasers. Started making parts. Had to get my lathe tuned up, works well now - an old Logan 820. Got a brushless servo, I have two now but I guess I have to rob one from a helicopter.

I realized I don't need a swash plate, just that one servo has to rotate with the mechanism. I'll use flat ribbon cables like Digi-Key WM10002-ND. Good for sub-360° rotation.

[BioMicro]

I'm now trying to control this with an Arduino board: