Servo - November 2010

www.servomagazine.com/index.php?/magazine/article/november2010_McComb

Introducing Arduino Robotics

So, it makes sense to look at ways to leverage the Arduino to build robots. That’s exactly what we’ll be doing in this article and several more to follow in the months ahead. I’ll show you how to build, program, and use an economical and expandable autonomous desktop robot — the ArdBot — that’s powered by an Arduino. Cost of the project is under $85 — even less if you already have some basic components like a solderless breadboard and hookup wire.

The robot base is simple to build and can be constructed out of a variety of materials; no special tools are required. I’ll demonstrate a version made of expanded PVC plastic, but you can use heavy cardboard, foam board, picture frame mat board, or most any other material you like. (For your convenience, you can get the robot chassis precut with all the hardware; see the Sources box for more information.)

I believe in robot designs that let you explore and experiment, and the ArdBot leaves plenty of room for expansion and independent discovery. You can use the robot for line or wall following, maze solving, or general meandering around in a room. (Cat scaring optional.) You can also take the concepts presented here and design your own version of the ArdBot — bigger or smaller, wheels or tracks — your choice.

In this installment, you’ll learn all about the Arduino: what it’s made of, how to connect it to your computer, and how to start developing robot projects for it. You’ll also be introduced to the ArdBot chassis, including where to get its main parts. In coming installments to this series, you’ll explore programming the robot to do interesting things, and extending its features with sensors and other add-ins.

FIGURE 1. The Arduino Duo is a compact microcontroller board based on the Atmel ATmega328 chip. It’s available from a number of sources at about $30 average retail.

Arduino Under the Hood

First introduced in 2005, the Arduino has gone through numerous iterations, revisions, and improvements. As I’m writing this, the Arduino team just released their newest version: the Arduino Uno (see Figure 1). Like its predecessors, the Uno is an all-in-one development board. It contains an Atmel AVR microcontroller — specifically the ATmega328 — a USB-to-serial interface, five volt voltage regulator, and various support electronics.

Previous iterations of the Arduino have included the Duemilanove (which means 2009 in Italian) and the Diecimila which means 10,000 (a reference to the number of Arduino boards that had been manufactured by that time; many more have been made since).