BalBot Advanced
[4.00 lbs.]

Welcome to the next level in low-cost robotics! Finally you can have a complete balancing robot up and running quickly.  BalBot Advanced is an advanced, autonomous, active-balancing robot that is fully customizable and useful for hobby, research, and education. 

BalBot Advanced can not only balance, but it also includes all the hardware and sample code necessary to autonomously drive around and avoid basic obstacles. This sample code comes pre-programmed, so if you do not have programming skills, you can still have the robot autonomously drive around and avoid obstacles. 

Details:

The BalBot Advanced kit includes everything the Basic kit does, PLUS the BrainBoard microcontroller board, 2 forward-looking infrared distance sensors, a programmer, serial cable, C-compiler, and more (see kit contents below for details)!

In short, the BalBot Advanced kit includes all the parts* you need to build a fully autonomous, self-balancing robot! It also includes everything you need to write your own custom C code, and program the bot with it.   Programming skills are required to develop your own robot behaviors, or to add on accessories.  Basic assembly skills are required. Soldering is NOT required.

     * Batteries not included

The BalBot Advanced is not only a self-balancing robot platform; it also includes a microcontroller board (called BrainBoard), which you can program to customize your bot.  With 17 expansion port connectors, the BrainBoard is designed to allow easy, "Plug and play" addition of more sensors and electronics.  These additions can be a combination of Analog, digital, and I2C devices.  And its included sample C-code will drive the robot around and avoid obstacles, to give you a taste of what can be done and to show you how it's done.  You can then modify the sample code to give the bot its own character and capabilities.  So, with only some assembly and programming effort, you could literally have a balancing robot with its own custom personality!

With the BalBot advanced, the expensive, time consuming task of putting together a development environment- a compiler, IDE, and device programmer, is already done for you.  What's more, the BrainBoard already "knows" how to talk to the BalBot's Balance Processor Chip (BPC), thanks to the included sample code.  The sample code also includes other functionality you will appreciate- sample code to display information on the LCD screen, talk to your PC through the serial port, read the navigation buttons, and read Sharp distance sensors. 

 

Performance

Since the BPC performs all necessary real-time balancing control algorithms, the programmable microcontroller on the BrainBoard is free to focus on the tasks you program it to do, sush as read sensors and make navigation decisions.  And since the BPC's control loop parameters can be over-ridden by the BrainBoard, the BrainBoard can still have a hugh influence on the details of how the bot actually balances. 

And the BrainBoard's microcontroller (Atmel ATMEGA32), with 16 MIPS, 32KB Flash, and 2KB of RAM, has plenty of power for most any task you through at it. 

Features:

-"Plug and Play" design allows sensors and other electronics to be added without soldering.

-Almost-ready-to-explore (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:

Processor -Programmable System on a Chip, for real-time Balance Algorithm Processing and sensor filtering. -ATMEGA32 uC for user's code execution. Motion -2 Powerful DC Brushed Gearmotors. -2 Current-limiting motor controllers (3A each). 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. Sensors -2 Forward-looking, 10-80cm range distance-sensing infrared sensors are included. -2 Infrared ground sensors, for tilt-angle sensing. -Back-EMF sensing on each motor, to detect wheel velocity. Upgrade-ability -Additional sensors can easily be added (up to 8 total analog sensors, 6 digital devices, and multiple I2C devices.) -"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. 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.  The BrainBoard (included) only has to send simple commands to tell it whether to move forward/reverse or left/right, and how fast.  Sample code is included to read the forward-looking sensors to detect obstacles, and then command the BPC to drive around and avoid obstacles. Development Environment Complete, Professional-quality development environment included: -Full-featured ISP device programmer for the ATMEGA32, for programming the BrainBoard In-System (No need to remove chip to program it) -AVR-GCC Open-source C-compiler -Programmer's Notepad IDE -BrainBoard sample C code, with basic routines included to read sensors, write to LCD, communcate with serial port, and read navigation buttons. Balance Modes Modes of operation selectable with momentary switch (and LED to display status), and over communication bus. Communications An I2C Bus (100KHz) links the BalanceBoard (included) to the BrainBoard (included).  A serial port and cable (included) link the BalanceBoard to your PC. 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. 3.2 Lbs. (Assembled, without packaging)

Kit Contents: -Printed assembly and operation manual. -CD-ROM (Includes C-compiler, IDE, sample C code, programmer software, and documentation) -BrainBoard (CircuitBoard includes ATMEGA32 microcontroller, LCD screen, navigation buttons, and RS232 serial port. -2 GP2D12 (10-80cm) Infrared distance sensors for detecting obstacles. -ISP programmer -DB9 Serial cable -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 GP2D12 (4-30cm) Distance sensors (For tilt angle detection) -Mounting hardware -Misc Cables and components

Related Links:

BrainBoard

BalBot Basic

Schematics, and detailed technical information can be found in the "BalBot Detailed User's Guide", available on our downloads page.