Over at HackNMod they’ve posted a video and project notes for an autonomous robotic tank that uses and airsoft gun built by the Department of Mechatronics Engineering at Mahankorn University.
Full details of the project can be found here (including the source code). There’s also a pretty decent video of the test results:
This DIYer created an autonomous, robotic tank, attached a airsoft M4 carbine gun to it, and then added color tracking to the already lethal mix. It can automatically track and shoot targets based upon the color of objects. The tank uses treads for mobility, has wireless control and on-board image processing capabilities.
After seven months of build time, the results can be seen in the video above. The airsoft gun can be controlled manually using a joystick and a GUI. The autonomous mode is more impressive with its ability to read the target distance and track it accurately. A RGB color processing program in combination with a camera act as the range finder. The hardware is built around Arduino boards and RC servos for the gun trigger. Wireless communication is done via an XBee Pro module. (HackNMod)
Probably not the cheapest project to build yourself but it shows what can be done with the right skills and determination. Now imaging three or four of these things rumbling autonomously around your local Airsoft CQB site and the Terminator theme playing quietly in the background…
