Adding A
Microcontroller to
The Beginner Bot
Part 3
by Gordon McComb
The study of robotics is a lifelong
journey. Each new robot is a new
adventure, and a fresh chance to
expand your learning. For the last
several issues, I’ve written about the
Beginner Bot: an affordable and
expandable platform that explains
basic robotic concepts in easy steps.
rewriting a few lines of code.
Using the PICAXE AXE401
Development Board
In the first installment, you learned how to construct the Beginner Bot platform using wood or plastic, and how to
steer it using mechanical switches from a tethered control
panel. From there, you learned how to replace the switches
with fully electronic influence, adding twin “eyes” and a
simple one-chip brain so that your bot could follow the
beam of its master’s flashlight.
FIGURE 1. The AXE401 development board contains
a PICAXE 28X2 microcontroller, voltage regulators,
and assorted electronics for quick and easy hookup
to your projects.
70 SERVO 10.2011
