jermfab
Cast Iron
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2013
- Location
- atlanta, ga
Here’s the latest studio job I’ve been working on:
Squirrel, the shop cat, is weighing in here.
The job is to remote-drive a John Deere 310A excavator.
Background: the excavator is for a chase scene in a film I’m working on. As there will be A-list actors and stunt personnel on and around the machine the decision was made to give driving controls to a precision driver and let the actors act and the stunties stunt. Typically this decision is made when the insurance underwriters decide it’s too dangerous for personnel to let the actor drive AND act at the same time.
We’ve done a number of these units on cars… basically you mount the remote drive “pod” and figure out how to actuate the steering, brakes and accelerator. Definitely an “any port in a storm” kind of job… whatever works becomes the “right” way to do the job. This is one of the few places where new cars and their electronic compliments actually make the job easier. Drive by wire just means extending the factory pedal-harness and mounting the pedal in the remote drive. Brakes can be done any number of ways, tap into the factory, boosted brakes, push on the factory brake pedal, again, any port in a storm. Steering is typically a hydraulic boat steering sector, generally we order a new steering shaft and cut and splice the boat unit into the shaft.
This one was a little different… hydraulic steering and a rented piece of equipment that HAS to be restored after the shot is done.
Additionally, the steering shaft on the excavator is maybe a foot with no room to hide lines or our usual steering box, gearbox, nothing. So, the decision was made to “mirror” the excavators steering system at the pod.
Here’s the remote drive pod steering sector:
Identical to the factory steering box:
A series of 3-way ball valves direct steering hydraulics to whatever end needs them:
All handles up sends fluid to the remote drive, handles facing west sends fluid to the factory box.
Brakes from the remote drive just push on the factory brake:
The actor can still mash the brakes in case of “oh shit”..
All other controls are in the hands of the precision driver:
The covered switch is main power, momentary in the center is the starter button and then parking brake as labeled.
The harness for the FWD/NEUTRAL/REV switch was extended so the pod driver has those controls as well.
All the actor needs to do is hold on and remember his lines.
Anyhow, just figured this might interest some of you out there.
Be safe
Jeremy
Squirrel, the shop cat, is weighing in here.
The job is to remote-drive a John Deere 310A excavator.
Background: the excavator is for a chase scene in a film I’m working on. As there will be A-list actors and stunt personnel on and around the machine the decision was made to give driving controls to a precision driver and let the actors act and the stunties stunt. Typically this decision is made when the insurance underwriters decide it’s too dangerous for personnel to let the actor drive AND act at the same time.
We’ve done a number of these units on cars… basically you mount the remote drive “pod” and figure out how to actuate the steering, brakes and accelerator. Definitely an “any port in a storm” kind of job… whatever works becomes the “right” way to do the job. This is one of the few places where new cars and their electronic compliments actually make the job easier. Drive by wire just means extending the factory pedal-harness and mounting the pedal in the remote drive. Brakes can be done any number of ways, tap into the factory, boosted brakes, push on the factory brake pedal, again, any port in a storm. Steering is typically a hydraulic boat steering sector, generally we order a new steering shaft and cut and splice the boat unit into the shaft.
This one was a little different… hydraulic steering and a rented piece of equipment that HAS to be restored after the shot is done.
Additionally, the steering shaft on the excavator is maybe a foot with no room to hide lines or our usual steering box, gearbox, nothing. So, the decision was made to “mirror” the excavators steering system at the pod.
Here’s the remote drive pod steering sector:
Identical to the factory steering box:
A series of 3-way ball valves direct steering hydraulics to whatever end needs them:
All handles up sends fluid to the remote drive, handles facing west sends fluid to the factory box.
Brakes from the remote drive just push on the factory brake:
The actor can still mash the brakes in case of “oh shit”..
All other controls are in the hands of the precision driver:
The covered switch is main power, momentary in the center is the starter button and then parking brake as labeled.
The harness for the FWD/NEUTRAL/REV switch was extended so the pod driver has those controls as well.
All the actor needs to do is hold on and remember his lines.
Anyhow, just figured this might interest some of you out there.
Be safe
Jeremy