@aronrubin Running a USB line would be feasible, though that might require us to re-compile FarmBotOS to support whatever drivers you need. If the USB line is a serial line, we might need to make some updates to how serial detection works (this discussion is a sign that it is time to update serial line detection anyway).
WiFi would also be interesting to see because you could theoretically create a system that works autonomously outside of FarmBot OS, giving you more control over your development environment. Credentials handling could be a challenge, though.
For things that require more power than what a USB line can offer (like this project) we’ve seen folks run a power line from the electronics box to the tool mount.
What would be a good solution from your point of view? If you needed changes to be made to the platform to support your idea, we would be interested to hear them. Distance detection is something we’re particularly interested in supporting.