Programmable RobotsTech ThursdayTreaded RobotsTutorials and Project Ideas
The MLT-JR is our lowest cost tracked platform and it’s powered with an Arduino! Equipped with spliceless molded tracks, 32mm motors, and a 11.1V 2200mAHr battery this isn’t your garden variety desktop robot. To make getting started easier, we’ve assembled some example Arduino sketches to act as a base to begin your own robotics development.
Motor Demo
This example serves as a movement demonstration for the MLT-JR Tracked Platform and is the pre-loaded sketch on our assembled kits. The Arduino communicates with the Sabertooth motor controller over a software serial port and sends basic drive and turn signals to cycle through various directions. This example is meant to serve as a base to get the robot moving.
Link to the GitHub Repository: Motor Demo
Required Hardware:
Sensor Demo
Expanding on the motor demo above, this adds an optical IR sensor to perform some basic autonomy through collision avoidance. The robot will drive until an obstacle is detected and it will adjust it’s course and continue.
Link to the GitHub Repository: Sensor Demo
Required Hardware:
xBee Demo
The xBee demo provides wireless control of the robot using an analog joystick and a pair of xBees. To make it easier, we sell assembled xBee kits that come pre-programmed with this demo (TE-900-004). If you already have some of the parts, we include a BOM on the kit’s item page.
The xBee remote constantly checks the values of a connected joystick, assembles a serial packet, and then sends it off to the xBee. On the robot side, it constantly checks for an updated packet, parses the information coming in, and actuates the motors accordingly.
Link to the GitHub Repository: xBee Demo
Required Hardware: