PiBot-B: mobile robot with a Raspberry Pi

Posted by David on 23 October 2013

Thomas Schoch, of Essen, Germany, built a neat robot with a Raspberry Pi and a Zumo Chassis Kit. The PiBot-B is controlled by a custom iPhone app that communicates over WiFi to the Raspberry Pi, which is running lighttpd and PHP. A Python program uses the WiringPi library to send signals to an L293D motor driver that drives the two 100:1 Micro Metal Gearmotors in the Zumo chassis. The iPhone app displays video from the attached Logitech C300 webcam, and the robot has an integrated 8×8 LED matrix from Adafruit that indicates its state. In the future, Thomas plans to add sensors for obstacle detection and make the robot autonomous. We were impressed by several things:

  • PiBot-B is very tidy, thanks in part to the USB cables that were shortened and modified using liquid rubber.
  • The Raspberry Pi has only one PWM output so Thomas used two OR gates to select whether the left motor, right motor, or both motors receive the PWM signal.
  • The write-up has some great photos and informative diagrams.

The PiBot-B page is written in German, but it has a link at the top to translate it into English using Google Translate.

0 comments

Post a comment

Using your Pololu account allows you to customize your avatar and manage your comments; you can also post anonymously.

New Products

ACS72981LLRATR-050U3 Current Sensor Large Carrier 0A to 50A, 3.3V
Pololu H2 High-Power Motor Driver 36v11 CS
4.2-15V, 3.3A Fine-Adjust Step-Down Voltage Regulator w/ Adjustable Low-Voltage Cutoff D30V33MASCMA
A5984 Stepper Motor Driver Carrier, Adjustable Current, Blue Edition
CT433-HSWF30DR TMR Current Sensor Compact Carrier 0A to 30A, 3.3V
ACS72981LLRATR-100B3 Current Sensor Compact Carrier -100A to +100A, 3.3V
CT433-HSWF50MR TMR Current Sensor Large Carrier -50A to +50A, 3.3V
ACS72981KLRATR-150B3 Current Sensor Compact Carrier -150A to +150A, 3.3V
ACS72981KLRATR-150B5 Current Sensor Large Carrier -150A to +150A, 5V
Ribbon Cable Premium Jumper Wires 10-Color F-F 36" (90 cm)
Log In
Pololu Robotics & Electronics
Shopping cart
(702) 262-6648
Same-day shipping, worldwide
Menu
Shop Blog Forum Support
My account Comments or questions? About Pololu Contact Ordering information Distributors