Please meet “Sean-bot.”
The self balancing robot uses a similar, though much simpler setup, as our Double Robots. The simplest explanation is that the robot is is programmed to see upright as the zero position and any tilt one way or the other (positive or negative tilt) makes the wheels move to catch up, similar to trying to balance a broom on your hand.
The first version of the robot used DC motors and my own Arduino program but I was unsatisfied with the amount of wobble and drift it had. So, I found someone who’d put up a tutorial using stepper motors with precise movements and a much better program and applied it to this robot.
Here are some other details:
- The brain and the controller use an Arduino Nano which is basically just a smaller version of the Arduino Uno that we have in our Tech kit.
- It has a small 6-axis gyro/accelerometer that detects movement. (We also have one of these in our Arduino kit).
- We 3D scanned Sean using our iSense 3D scanner, and used an online service for a full color 3D print.
- The frame of the robot was designed in Fusion 360 and cut using hobby plywood on our laser cutter.
- The wheels were also designed in Fusion and 3D printed at Do Space to fit the stepper motors.
- The arms were found on Thingiverse and modified in TinkerCad to add to the top 3D printed plate.
