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

Motoron M3S550 Triple Motor Controller Shield for Arduino (No Connectors)
3.3V, 3.7A Step-Down Voltage Regulator D30V30F3
15V, 2.5A Step-Up/Step-Down Voltage Regulator S13V25F15
3.3V, 2.5A Step-Up/Step-Down Voltage Regulator S13V25F3
7.5V, 3A Step-Down Voltage Regulator D30V30F7
9V, 2.5A Step-Up/Step-Down Voltage Regulator S13V25F9
VL53L7CX Time-of-Flight 8×8-Zone Wide FOV Distance Sensor Carrier with Voltage Regulator, 350cm Max
12V, 2.8A Step-Down Voltage Regulator D30V30F12
Free Circuit Cellar magazine April 2023
ACS724 Current Sensor Carrier -10A to +10A
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