Planned Specs:

  • Compute
    • Raspberry Pi 4 Model B
  • Video
    • Pi Cam 3 NoIR (Standard Angle)
    • Targeting 720p60fps w/ H.264 encoding
  • Illumination
    • Custom 8-LED 850 nm IR board (120 degree spread, MOSFET-controlled PWM)
  • Drive Platform
    • Four-wheeled, low profile chassis
    • Using 2x brushless DC motors w/ planetary gearboxes and drivers built in
  • Power
    • Custom 2P4S Li-ion pack (estimated 9-10 Ah, 16.8 V max) with a BMS for protection.
    • Charging will come from an external CC/CV charging brick
  • Electronics
    • Custom power distribution board (PDB) for the Pi, motors, IR LED board, etc.
    • TVS, reverse-polarity protection, and inrush limiting planned
  • Networking
    • Base station with a directional antenna (Yagi / panel) to extend range
    • Rover will have a USB Wi-Fi adapter with an external waterproof omnidirectional antenna, estimating 1-2 dB gain
  • Enclosure
    • 3D printed chassis with a custom-machined aluminum baseplate for stability
    • Low center of gravity; laptop-ish footprint
    • Weather-resistant seals
    • Active-cooling with a Noctua A4x20-PWM (12 V)

Current Status (Early WIP)

As of 11/14/2025:

  • First revision of the IR LED board is designed, fabricated, and tested.
    • Seems to work great, even at only 9 V supplied (rated for 12 V)
  • Basic power and control concepts for the PDB are worked out on paper.
  • High-level system architecture is defined
  • The rover's chassis is almost done - I just need to finish up the power distribution board and define the exact buck converters I'm using to finish the design

Right now this is very much a “slow build” side project. I’m documenting as I go so others can follow along (or yell at me when I do something dumb).