Zumo 32U4 OLED Robot Kit (No Motors)

This is a merged information page for Item #4990.
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Pololu item #: 4990
Brand: Pololu
Status: Active and Preferred 
RoHS 3 compliant


The Pololu Zumo 32U4 OLED robot is a versatile tracked robot based on the Arduino-compatible ATmega32U4 MCU, and this kit contains most of the parts you need to build one—all you need to add are a pair of micro metal gearmotors, four AA batteries, and a USB A to Micro-B cable. It includes integrated dual motor drivers, a graphical OLED display, quadrature encoders, line sensors, side and front proximity sensors, and a full IMU. The assembled robot is less than 10 cm × 10 cm—small enough to qualify for Mini Sumo. This product is a kit; assembly (including soldering) is required.

Alternatives available with variations in these parameter(s): version Select variant…

Pictures

Contents of the Zumo 32U4 OLED robot kit.

Assembled Zumo 32U4 OLED robot.

Main features of the Zumo 32U4 OLED robot.

Assembled Zumo 32U4 OLED robot, top view.

Assembled Zumo 32U4 OLED robot, bottom view.

Assembled Zumo 32U4 OLED robot, side view.

Assembled Zumo 32U4 OLED robot, back view.

Zumo 32U4 OLED Main Board.

Zumo 32U4 OLED Main Board, top view.

Zumo 32U4 OLED Main Board, bottom view.

Zumo 32U4 robot front sensor array.

Zumo 32U4 robot front sensor array, bottom view.

Zumo 32U4 robot front sensor array, top view.

Zumo Windowed Blade (for 32U4/2040).

Zumo 32U4 OLED top expansion pinout.

Zumo 32U4 OLED front expansion and display connector pinout.




Overview

The Zumo 32U4 OLED is a highly integrated, user-programmable and customizable tracked robot. It measures less than 10 cm on each side and weighs approximately 275 g with batteries (160 g without), so it is both small enough and light enough to qualify for Mini-Sumo competitions, but its versatility makes it capable of much more than just robot sumo battles.

At the heart of the Zumo 32U4 is an ATmega32U4 AVR microcontroller from Microchip (formerly Atmel), and like our A-Star 32U4 programmable controllers, the Zumo 32U4 features a USB interface and ships preloaded with an Arduino-compatible bootloader. A software add-on is available that makes it easy to program the robot from the Arduino environment, and we have Arduino libraries and example sketches to help get you started. A USB A to Micro-B cable (not included) is required for programming. For advanced users who want to customize or enhance their robots with additional peripherals, the robot’s power rails and microcontroller’s I/O lines can be accessed via 0.1″-spaced through-holes along the sides and front of the main board.

Assembled Zumo 32U4 OLED robot, front view.

Assembled Zumo 32U4 OLED robot, side view.

Assembled Zumo 32U4 OLED robot, back view.

The Zumo 32U4 features two H-bridge motor drivers and a variety of integrated sensors, including a pair of quadrature encoders for closed-loop motor control, a complete inertial measurement unit (3-axis accelerometer, gyro, and magnetometer), five downward-facing reflectance sensors for line-following or edge-detection, and front- and side-facing proximity sensors for obstacle detection and ranging. Three on-board pushbuttons offer a convenient interface for user input, and a 128×64 graphical OLED display, buzzer, and indicator LEDs allow the robot to provide feedback.

The Zumo 32U4 OLED robot is available fully assembled with three different motor options (see the Motors section below for more information on how these different gear ratios perform):

The Zumo 32U4 OLED robot is also available as a kit (without motors) for those who would prefer to assemble it themselves or who want to use different motors than those in the three assembled versions.

March 2024 update: We are transitioning the OLED displays from units with blue PCBs to functionally identical versions with black PCBs. Some of the pictures and videos on our website still show the original blue displays.

Details for item #4990

This version of the Zumo 32U4 OLED robot (item #4990) is a kit; assembly (including soldering) is required. Motors and batteries are sold separately. A USB A to Micro-B cable (not included) is required for programming.

Kit contents

Contents of the Zumo 32U4 OLED robot kit.

With the exception of motors, batteries, and a USB A to Micro-B cable, this kit contains everything necessary to build and operate a Zumo 32U4 robot:

Assembled Zumo 32U4 OLED robot.

See the Zumo 32U4 robot user’s guide for detailed assembly instructions.

This is a newer Zumo 32U4 OLED Robot Kit with a graphical OLED display. For its original version counterpart with an LCD, see the Zumo 32U4 Robot Kit.

Motors (not included with item #4990)

Micro metal gearmotor with extended motor shaft.

The Zumo chassis uses two micro metal gearmotors, one for each tread. The ideal motors for your robot depend on your desired torque, speed, and current draw, so motors are not included with the kit version of the chassis (motors are included with the assembled versions of the Zumo 32U4 robot). We generally recommend using high-power (HP or HPCB, which have long-life carbon brushes) versions of our micro metal gearmotors since the tracks require a decent amount of torque to move effectively; higher gear ratios of the non-HP motors might work if you want lower current draw, but they will be slower and offer less control. Specifically, we primarily recommend the 50:1, 75:1, or 100:1 HP (or HPCB) motors for use with this chassis, and these are the versions we include in our assembled Zumo 32U4 robot. Additionally, be sure to get a version with extended motor shafts if you want to be able to use the Zumo 32U4’s encoders.

You can use the following table to compare these three gear ratios in more detail. The first four columns are specifications of the motors themselves, while the last column is the measured top speed of a Zumo chassis loaded to a weight of 500 g and driven with these motors. Note that the specifications are for 6V operation, which is approximately the voltage you would get with four alkaline batteries; four NiMH AA cells will typically provide less than 5V.

Micro Metal
Gearmotor
Free-Run Speed
@ 6V
Stall Torque
@ 6V
Stall Current
@ 6V
Top Zumo Speed
@ 6V and 500g
50:1 HP or 50:1 HPCB 625 RPM 15 oz·in 1600 mA 40 in/s (100 cm/s)
75:1 HP or 75:1 HPCB 400 RPM 22 oz·in 1600 mA 25 in/s (65 cm/s)
100:1 HP or 100:1 HPCB 320 RPM 30 oz·in 1600 mA 20 in/s (50 cm/s)

Batteries (not included)

The Zumo 32U4 robot runs off of four AA batteries. It works with both alkaline and NiMH batteries, though we recommend using rechargeable AA NiMH cells.

Optional accessories

Zumo 32U4 robot with black sprockets.

Zumo 32U4 robot with red sprockets.

Zumo 32U4 robot with white sprockets.

Comparison with the Zumo robot kit for Arduino (with Zumo Shield)

Our older Zumo robot for Arduino, built with a Zumo Shield, is another Arduino-compatible robotic platform based on the Zumo chassis. The Zumo Shield mounts to the Zumo chassis and features motor drivers and various sensors, but it does not have an integrated microcontroller; rather, it is designed to interface with boards that have a standard Arduino form factor, like an Arduino Uno, Arduino Leonardo, or A-Star 32U4 Prime, and these boards serve as the main controller for the robot.

A Zumo 32U4 OLED robot (left) and a Zumo robot for Arduino with an A-Star 32U4 Prime LV (right).

By contrast, the Zumo 32U4 OLED includes an on-board ATmega32U4 microcontroller (the same one used in the Leonardo and A-Star 32U4 boards), combining the functions of the Zumo Shield and the separate Arduino controller into a single, compact board that is just as easy to program as a standard Arduino or A-Star thanks to its USB interface and preloaded Arduino-compatible bootloader. The Zumo 32U4 retains all the features of the Zumo shield (e.g. dual motor drivers, inertial sensors, and buzzer) while adding many new features, including dual quadrature encoders, proximity sensors, a graphical OLED display, and two extra user pushbuttons.

Some of the pin mappings and software libraries differ between the Zumo 32U4 and Zumo robot for Arduino, so programs written for one robot generally need to be modified to work on the other.

Dimensions

Size: 96L × 99W × 39H mm
Weight: 160 g1

General specifications

Processor: ATmega32U4 @ 16 MHz
RAM size: 2560 bytes
Program memory size: 32 Kbytes2
External programmer required?: N
Assembled: N
Version: kit — assembly required, motors not included

Identifying markings

PCB dev codes: zum02d
Other PCB markings: 0J13542

Notes:

1
Assembled robot without batteries.
2
Note that 4 KB of the MCU's 32 KB of flash memory is used by the pre-installed USB bootloader. All 32 KB is available when programming via the ISP header rather than the bootloader.

Documentation and other information

File downloads

Recommended links

Frequently-asked questions

No FAQs available.

On the blog