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Overview:
Welcome to the next level in low-cost robotics! Finally you can have your own balancing robot platform up and running quickly. BalBot Basic is an advanced, autonomous, active-balancing robot that is fully customizable and useful for hobby, research, and education.
Note: The BalBot Basic is intended as a platform for your own robotic development. As such, it includes everything (except batteries and a screwdriver) needed to make it balance on its own. At this point it will be ready to accept forward/reverse and left/right commands from external electronics. However, it will not actually drive around unless you add electronics to tell it to do so. For a kit that includes the added electronics, please see the BalBot Advanced.
Details:
The BalBot Basic kit includes all the parts* you need to build the self-balancing robot! Basic assembly skills are required. Soldering is NOT required.
* Batteries not included
-Almost-ready-to-balance (Just requires assembly)
-Advanced features and programming capability available by adding the BrainBoard or another microcontroller board.
-Balance Processor Chip provides balancing functionality and an I2C interface for communicating with other electronics.
-Onboard switching power converter for high-efficiency powering of add-on electronics.
Specifications:
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Processor |
Programmable System on a Chip, for real-time Balance Algorithm Processing and sensor filtering. |
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Motion |
-2 Powerful DC Brushed Gearmotors.
-2 Current-limiting motor controllers (3A each). |
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Mechanics |
Expandable Frame System (EFS), made primarily of aircraft aluminum. Allows unlimited form factor changes, sensor additions, board additions, etc, with only a screw driver. |
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Sensors |
-2 Infrared ground sensors, for tilt-angle sensing.
-Back-EMF sensing on each motor, to detect wheel velocity. |
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Upgrade-ability |
-Brainboard can easily be added to provide user-programmability.
-"Plug and Play"; No soldering required for most BalBots.com add-ons.
-Sensors and circuit boards can easily be added with only a screw driver. |
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Balance Algorithms |
-Digital Cascaded Control Loop is standard (built into Balance Processor Chip)
-Balance Control loop parameters can be modified by using an add-on microcontroller such as the BrainBoard.
-Balance Control loop can be by-passed altogether to allow user's completely custom control loop (microcontroller such as BrainBoard required). |
| Control |
All Balance algorithms performed on-board. User's microcontroller only has to send simple commands to tell it whether to move forward/reverse or left/right, and how fast. |
| Balance Modes |
Modes of operation selectable with momentary switch (and LED to display status), and over communication bus. |
| Communications |
I2C Bus (100KHz) |
| Power Source |
12 x AA Batteries. Alkaline, or NiMH |
| Power Conversion |
Switching DC-DC converter provides efficiently converted power to on-board electronics as well as add-on 5V electronics. |
| Dimensions |
27" high x 9" Wide x 5.4" Deep |
| Weight |
Approx. 3 Lbs. (Assembled, without packaging) |
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Kit Contents:
-Printed assembly and operation manual.
-BalanceBoard (Circuit board includes Balance Processor Chip, motor control circuitry, I2C interface, and power conversion)
-Expandable Frame System
-High-performance Gear motors with all-metal gear construction.
-5.4" wheels
-2 Distance sensors (For tilt angle detection)
-Mounting hardware
-Misc Cables and components |
Related Links:
BalBot Advanced
Schematics, and detailed technical information can be found in the "BalBot Detailed User's Guide", available on our downloads page.
Anatomy of a BalBot
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