In this day and age, we are truly blessed as far as the electronics hobby is concerned. Advanced modules such as gyros and motor controllers are readily available, not just as individual parts, but as pre-soldered modules that can be wired together with a minimum of fuss and at low cost. This simple balancing robot is a great example of what can be done with such parts (Google Translate link).
The robot has an ESP32 running the show, which provides both the processing power required, as well as the WiFi interface used to control the ‘bot from a smartphone. This is achieved using an app from JJRobots, an open-source robotics teaching resource. Stepper motors are controlled by DRV8825 modules sourced from amazon, and an MPU6050 gyro rounds out the major components. Naturally, source code is available on GitHub for your reading pleasure.
It’s remarkable that in this day and age, it’s possible to build such a project with little to no soldering required at all. With a credit card and a healthy supply of patch leads, it’s possible to whip up complex digital projects quite quickly. We’ve seen a similar approach before, too. Video after the break.
[Thanks to Baldpower for the tip!]
ESP32 must give more horsepower to this B-Robot version. It’ll be interesting to see some adds on like sound sensors or use an OV7660 for video or frame capture.
Especially the 3D printed parts are off-the-shelf.
My 3D printer is on a shelf, you insensitive clod!
The one in orange is the kid who runs around the classroom pretending to be airplane; the tall blue one and the green one in the front are the two kids who keep fidgeting like they need to use the restroom really badly; the green one in the back the one kid who’s diligently doing his classwork.
(c: