This project intends to develop a portable, rapid -and easy- deployment controller for robotics. A drone, a rover, a boat, you name it.

The system was designed and built upon a Nvidia Jetson Nano as the main processing unit. It runs ROS for increased modularity and ease of integration. Inputs are handled through an Arduino Mega, and communicated to the computer through a serial connection, using rosserial.

It has a 7" LCD screen I had laying around and two wireless adapters that could work together and allow for different types of antennas to modify coverage, reach and directivity.

As far as controls go, I was looking to implement two joysticks (one could be for platform control and the other one for camera/gimbal control), two linear sliders for control of any continuous variable, 3 rotary potentiometers, 3 lever switches and two pushbuttons. The great thing about this system is that anyone could take the concept and modify the inputs to match the functionality of their robot. I am just adding a bunch of inputs to allow control of multiple robots/scenarios/payloads configurations without the need to modify the controls. The only modifications necessary would be the implementation of the functionality of each input, which should be done via software programming.

The Ethernet port and spare USB ports available on the Jetson were made accessible through extension cords and a USB hub respectively. The users can incorporate the system to a broader network of robotics control or  interfacing with other systems is possible through the RJ45. The USB ports allow inserting a flash drive or connecting a mouse and keyboard which could be useful for any modifications or better control of the Jetson.

General considerations

Before starting the design, I had to get the dimensions of the hard case I would put the electronics in. As far as sizing goes, there are plenty of options. I wanted something portable but not too small for the sake of easier integration.

Wanted the components to be mounted inside the case, no external modifications required. Two interior panels fit all the required connectors and interfaces. This means that any antennas or large joysticks had to be made foldable/retractable.

I have seen other projects in which cases are used upside down. The lid is placed on a surface and most components are held inside the bottom half. Think of it as opening a laptop upside down. There are some very neat projects that adopted this format. I wanted to go the classic way though. 

Due to the bottom portion of the case being the largest, and the lid having quite a small depth (~3cm), most big components were placed in the former, leaving small components for the lid panel.