A tiny radio-controlled flamethrower… what can go wrong?
It goes without saying that nothing good can come of a tiny radio-controlled flame thrower, so it’s probably not the best idea to build one. Yet, we couldn’t help but share a recent project from “MAKE-log,” who has done just that.
Admittedly, its creator does warn operating the 13cm x 4cm x 8cm device at your own risk. The RC Flamethrower is fueled by a 35ml deodorant spray. A micro servo pushes down the can’s lever and actuates its valve, while a SparkFun Spark Gap Igniter (no longer available) helps generate the spark and deterministically spit out flames.
The remote is in the form of a Microsoft joystick, which is equipped with an an MCU, an RF transmitter and an LED to denote that radio transmission is taking place.
Meanwhile, the flamethrower itself is based on an ATmega328P and features a transceiver, a DC/DC boost converter for supplying 5V, two Li-ion 11mAh batteries in parallel, a pair of 5-bit RGBs and a Li-ion charger set to 300A. The SparkFun igniter is connected directly to the the Li-ion battery via MOSFET.
That all said, MAKE-log’s compact build does boast several safety interlocks and dons an informative interface. A 128 x 64 OLED display shows the flamethrower’s burn time and remaining battery levels, while a two LEDs and a mini 5V buzzer emit visual and audible warnings for the user. Red indicates fire mode, flashing blue lights suggest a loss of signal.
YOU SHOULD NOT recreate this on your own. We repeat, you SHOULD NOT recreate this on your own. However, MAKE-log provides a detailed breakdown of the build below, and shares the AVR-GCC code for the joystick here.
Atmel | Bits & Pieces 