7.a. RC Zumo

By connecting an RC receiver and running this example sketch, you can turn your Zumo into a radio-controlled vehicle. With the Zumo Shield Arduino library installed, the sketch file can be opened in Arduino by selecting File > Examples > ZumoShield > RCControl.

A Zumo robot with an RC receiver attached to make a radio-controlled vehicle.

An easy way to connect the receiver to the Zumo Shield is to solder two 1×3 male header strips to the locations shown in the diagram below, then plug in a pair of standard servo cables between the receiver and the Zumo Shield. (If your receiver has a separate power source, you should only connect the signal and ground wires between it and the Zumo.)

Diagram of an RC receiver connected to pins on a Zumo Shield.

This program uses Arduino’s PulseIn library to read the signals from the receiver. By default, it assumes the throttle and steering channels are connected as the diagram shows on pins 4 and 5, respectively. The signals from the two channels are mixed to determine the left and right motor speeds, allowing for more intuitive control.