Fireant Plenum Robot

This bot was built to work in plenum and other tight spaces.

I built this little guy two years ago to run Cat5/6 and coaxial cable through plenum spaces (open spaces above ceilings and under floors). Over the years he has seen quite a bit of action and has been an asset in any small space that requires a peek or a light hands-on approach.

Fireant Plenum Robot’s features:

• 2.4Ghz color video camera
• 2.4Ghz transceiver
• Pan and tilt arm with claw attached
• Ultra bright LED headlight
• Buzzer for user location through surfaces
• Rubber tank treads for improved traction
• Built from sturdy, damage resistant fiberglass
• Shock-resistant carrying case

This is an IBM/PC and Mac/Linux compatible serial device.

To operate the Fireant Plenum Robot, all you need is a computer that can accept a USB transceiver, and a program that can talk to Serial devices at 9600 baud. Such basic programs include Putty or if you want to get more creative you can use a layering program such as Processing to automate commands.

Remote Controlled or Automated Use.

The Fireant Plenum Robot has at its heart an Arduino Uno R3 with an Adafruit Motor Shield. This combination can either be used with the default sketch, which allows a controller via remapped keyboard presses to operate the built in devices, or another sketch that is coded to perform another predetermined task.

I know this is not a step by step Instructable but I have linked most of the parts in the text above. Feel free to use the attached code in nonprofit projects, as long as credit is given.