Radar turret

Complete3D print + electronics

A desk toy styled after a late-80s sci-fi motion tracker, printed in PETG on the A1 Mini.

It started as a hand-crank turret with a worm gear, then got a motor drive, and finally an ultrasonic sonar head driven by a Raspberry Pi that scans and pings.

The turret was later taken apart so its Raspberry Pi could go into the desk climate station.

Status: Complete
Material: PETG
Printer: Bambu Lab A1 Mini
Electronics: Raspberry Pi, servo, HC-SR04 sonar
Versions: 3

Video

Version 3 sweeping, with the live radar display on a laptop. No sound.

Version 3: the sonar head scanning. No sound.

Version 2: the dish driven by a motor. No sound.

Version 1: turning the dish with the hand crank. No sound.

Photos

Version 1, the hand-crank turret, from the front.

Version 1 from the side.

Version 1, worm gear side.

Version 1, crank side.

Version 1 from the front, background removed.

Version 1 parts on the print bed, from the printer camera.

Version 3: the servo seated in the base.

Version 3: the HC-SR04 sonar sensor test-fitted on the head.

Drawings

Version 3.2 section drawings.

Version 3 sonar schematic.

Version 3 wiring: Raspberry Pi, servo and HC-SR04.

Version 3 breadboard layout and echo divider.

Version 3 assembly sketch.

Version 2 motor drive schematic.

Version 2 assembly sketch.

Version 1 hand-crank schematic.

Version 1 assembly sketch.