Servo - December 2013

for hackers to have a tried-and-proven robot base without tearing up a Roomba vacuum cleaner. This platform is way better for the experimenter as it contains 30 built-in sensors, a 25-pin expansion port for connecting a command module and other electronics, and a spacious cargo bay with plenty of holes for mounting hardware. Retail is $130 for the basic model or $220 for an added advanced rechargeable battery pack and fast charger.

iRobot no longer offers the

Command module, but there is so much Create hacking information on the Internet that any Arduino, Propeller, or AVR microcontroller is easily used for experimentation.

In 2011, Yujin Robot of South Korea developed the Kobuki shown in

Figure 19 which was modeled after their Iclebo robot home vacuum cleaner. It claims to have corrected features with higher resolution wheel encoders, built-in gyro, and an available larger battery. Willow Garage — maker of the ROS-powered TurtleBot — originally used the Create with their robot, then changed over to the Kobuki. nfortunately, sales have not been very successful.

I personally prefer the Create for their support, but a Kobuki-based TurtleBot can be found on the Internet for $1,400 that includes mounting plates, cables, and a Kinect.

The Pololu Arduino robot at $275 (shown in Figure 20) is a great small experimenter's robot platform. It has two ATmega32U4 microcontrollers (including a 2. 5 KB SRAM and 1 KB EEPROM), a 160x120 pixel color LCD, a speaker, digital compass, SD card SD card preloaded with images and sound files used in example Arduino robot projects. The Parallax Boe-Bot — starting at $170 and shown in Figure 21 — is a perfect small experimenter's platform. The basic model uses Parallax's popular BASIC Stamp microcontroller, but other versions can be configured with their Propeller eight-cog microcontroller, or the Arduino. You can mount ultrasonic distance detectors, X-Bee RF links, speech generators, optical detectors, and other items to Boe-Bots.

Parallax has an extensive course library to lead a beginner or even an expert through programming and sensor technology to industrial applications.

All six of the above robot bases and kits are excellent ways for someone new to robotics to experiment and find their ultimate robot platform. Buy or build — it's your choice.

Final Thoughts

This article was not intended to teach machine shop techniques, but to toss out some important factors to assist robot builders in designing and building their robot. If you are new to robot experimentation and feel that you need some help in designing structures and a base for your prospective robot project, consider joining a robot club. Many robotics organizations have a website that allows members and outsiders to ask questions, showcase projects, and offer help to newcomers. A neighbor or friend who is mechanically adept does not need to know about robots in order to assist you in designing basic parts. You can start with one of the robot bases described here and build your dream robot upon it. Simplicity in construction, readily-available bases, and friendly assistance from other builders will lead you to a great robot. SV