"Neurobot 1" - Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Linux and ROS educational robotics kit by NikolayGrigoryev

Last crawled date: 3 years ago

Hello world! :)
My name is Nick Grigoryev, I am a professional engineer, and I love to make robots.
I created this constructor kit to let children to learn coding of Arduino, Linux ROS (Robot Operating System, created by genius guys from Willow Garage) to prepare the engineers of tomorrow.
They can learn neural networks algorithms of ROS, which is running on newest powerful Linux computer "Raspberry Pi 3" from www.raspberrypi.org
The idea behind this kit is that A) it should be fully functional robot with the all same main capabilities as all those deployed in industry today, B) it should have so affordable price, that really any kid can make it, and C) if the kid does not have enough parts to build something, he or she can download and 3D-print them. Or design some unique parts which are not currently in the kit, and then 3D-print them.
I will keep this kit to be updated. All the hardware and software used is open-source (my design, Arduino, Linux, ROS) and all software is free.
It runs Linux Ubuntu 14.04.4 for ARM from here: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ARM/RaspberryPi
It runs ROS from here: http://wiki.ros.org/indigo/Installation/UbuntuARM
If you want to buy this kit from me, write to my email below.
Please if you will design additional parts, sent them to me to nikgrigoryev@gmail.com, and I will load them here as well, to let everybody to download the full kit. Also please send me any questions or suggestions you may have during the assembly of this robot, I will help you to solve them.
To see what is ROS, please google http://www.ros.org/ and https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=nasa.gov:+robonaut+2&tbm=vid
And please, dig deeper for best universities robotics courses on http://wiki.ros.org/ROS/Tutorials
Do you know that ROS-Industrial is supported by Kuka, Fanuc, ABB, UR and many others? Check out http://rosindustrial.org/news/
The main design pattern is: 7 mm holes, 15.5 mm between the centers of holes, width of the line is 28 mm, thickness of the element is 6 mm. Everything else - how you will do it :)
The nut (file "Knob") is specially designed so big, that small children cannot swallow it, can tighten it without the wrench, and tolerance is such, that they cannot take the nut out. You will need to hammer in it the steel nut 1/4" (6 mm) size.
All the bolts and nuts you can buy for ~5$ for 100 pieces in any hardware store, it uses 1/4"-20 (6 mm) thread and 6-32 thread. All servo holders are designed for standard size Hitec servos, and use 6-32 bolts and nuts, 1-1/4" length.
Important thing: use only original Arduino from official distributors (I used latest Arduino Mega 2560 from www.element14.com because it can handle a lot of servos and sensors). Chineese Arduino clones have not the latest processors and components, I have tried those, they cannot handle the current for the signals 5V to 9 servos, sensors and LEDs simultaneously, so they reload every several seconds.
Arduino screen is this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ESYLLHA?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01
Beautiful Adafruit Raspberry Pi screen is this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017PDWNKE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00
GPS sensor with antenna from Adafruit:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I6LZW4O?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages00
Tires are from here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00W10IJEG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s01
Power supply for servos, Arduino and Raspberry Pi are these, I use 3 of them, two in parallel for 6V servos, and one for 5V Raspberry Pi supply: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008ZNWOYY?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00
Battery is this, 4000 mAh x 3S: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WLG0358?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00
Threaded rods are these ones: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YWCRJU6?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00
Raspberry Pi kit with Wi-Fi and camera: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UGBI91U?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00, or you can use the latest one: https://www.element14.com/community/community/raspberry-pi?ICID=hp-raspberrypi3-topbanner
Arduino Mega servo shield: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007PABRNM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00
Three servos Hitec 32645S HS-645MG for hand and gripper: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003T6RSVQ?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00
I used servos Hitec HS-311 for wheels, and easily modified them for continuous rotation. You can use them as well, they are 8 USD per servo: https://www.servocity.com/html/hs-311_standard.html, or you can use more strong ones, with dual ball bearings and metal gears. I used HS-311 because thought that 8 USD is the right price for a kid to begin learning robotics. But if your budget is not so tight, you can use Hitec 1425CR continuous rotation servo with dual ball bearings, 20 USD each, it works better.
Two distance sensors, front and back: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IMOSEJA?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
LEDs: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004UMA60S?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00 (red for back) and http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0059H5ZHM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00 for front lamps, and 7x9 cm PCBs to mount them in a hexagonal rows: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B012YZ2Q0U/ref=twister_B012YZ2PYC?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
On-off toggle switches, 2 pieces, one for Arduino shutdown, one for Raspberry Pi shutdown: http://www.amazon.com/Toggle-ON-OFF-Switch-spade-terminals/dp/B014BVWHW2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00
If you want, you can add radio control:http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__190__190__Radios_Receivers.html?idCategory=190&pc=
Enjoy, I hope you will like it! :)
Nick
nikgrigoryev@gmail.com
(C) Designed in California
List of references:
Arduino creators website: www.arduino.cc
Raspberry Pi creators website: www.raspberrypi.org
Very good Arduino lessons from Paul McWhorter: http://www.toptechboy.com/arduino-lessons/
Very good Raspberry Pi Linux lessons from Paul McWhorter: http://www.toptechboy.com/raspberry-pi-with-linux-lessons/
ROS main website: www.ros.org
ROS Tutorial 1 "TurtleBot in Gazebo Simulator" by Justin Huang: https://youtu.be/9U6GDonGFHw
ROS Tutorial 2 "Subscribers & Publishers" by Justin Huang:https://youtu.be/bJB9tv4ThV4
Erle Robotics rover ROS Gazebo simulation: http://erlerobotics.com/docs/Simulation/Vehicles/Erle-Rover/Tutorial_1_Launching_Erle-Rover.html
Original "SLAM for dummies" by Søren Riisgaard and Morten Rufus Blas: http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/aeronautics-and-astronautics/16-412j-cognitive-robotics-spring-2005/projects/1aslam_blas_repo.pdf
Color wheel for choosing the colors: http://graf1x.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/color-wheel-poster.jpg
My Lesson 1 from "Robotics Essentials" presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1acJxJANH-XrklamFbuHPzUYxeqTloqVMZhQViu6X5P8/edit?usp=sharing
"ROS by example, INDIGO" by Patrick Goebel:https://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep?keyWords=ROS+by+example+INDIGO&type=
Artificial Intelligence for Self-Driving Cars by Sebastian Thrun, free Python Robotics Course:https://www.udacity.com/course/artificial-intelligence-for-robotics--cs373
Very cool lessons for OpenCV from Kyle Hounslow:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgo0UitHfp8&list=PLvwB65U8V0HHCEyW2UTyOJym5FsdqfbHQ
"Gentle introduction to ROS" by Jason M. O’Kane:https://cse.sc.edu/~jokane/agitr/agitr-letter.pdf