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ESP8266 Robotics Projects
ESP8266 Robotics Projects

ESP8266 Robotics Projects: DIY Wi-Fi controlled robots

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Paperback Nov 2017 210 pages 1st Edition
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ESP8266 Robotics Projects

Building a Mini Round Robot with Original ESP8266

In this chapter, you will learn how to build a two-wheeled mini round robot with the ESP8266 ESP-01 board. As you know, the nifty ESP8266 ESP01 module can handle all the necessary things related to Wi-Fi networking. The Arduino works as the main microcomputer board and the ESP01 works as a Wi-Fi shield for Arduino.

In this chapter, you will learn the following topics:

  • Assembling a Mini 3-Layer Round Robot chassis kit
  • Connecting ESP8266 ESP-01 with Arduino
  • Using logic level converter between ESP8266 ESP-01 and Arduino
  • Connecting motors with motor driver
  • Connecting motor driver board with Arduino
  • Power supply with battery packs (9V and 4xAA)
  • Building/writing a control app with Blynk
  • Moving and turning
  • Controlling the robot via Wi-Fi with the Blynk app

Things you will need

First, you should prepare with the following things to build the Wi-Fi controlled mini round robot:

Assembling the Mini 3-Layer Round Robot chassis kit

The Mini 3-Layer Round Robot chassis kit (Figure 2.1) gives you everything you need to build a two-wheel drive robot chassis. The kit includes the following things:

  • Three chassis layers
  • Two drive motors (drive with 3-6V DC, 200-400 mA run, 1.5A hard stall)
  • Two wheels
  • Two rubber treads
  • Two red panels
  • Four brass standoffs
  • Four long screws
  • Eight small screws
  • Four nuts
  • Two small screws
  • One nut
  • One plastic caster ball
Figure 2.1: Mini 3-Layer Round Robot chassis kit. Image courtesy of Adafruit Industries (https://www.adafruit.com)

Assembling the wheels

First, assemble the two wheels with motors. Take the following things (Figure 2.2):

  • Two motors
  • Two wheels...

Wiring them together

After mounting the Arduino board, you can start to wire it with the motor driver and the ESP01.

Connecting the Arduino with motor driver

You can wire each pin of the motor driver with Arduino as follows:

  • Motor Driver AIN1 -> Arduino Digital Pin 2
  • Motor Driver BIN1 -> Arduino Digital Pin 7
  • Motor Driver AIN2 -> Arduino Digital Pin 4
  • Motor Driver BIN2 -> Arduino Digital Pin 8
  • Motor Driver PWMA -> Arduino Digital Pin (PWM) 5
  • Motor Driver PWMB -> Arduino Digital Pin (PWM) 6
  • Motor Driver STBY -> Arduino Digital Pin 9

Connecting the motors with the motor driver

...

Writing sketches

This section shows you how to write sketches to control the motors with the TB6612FND Arduino library. You can download the library via the following link:

https://github.com/sparkfun/SparkFun_TB6612FNG_Arduino_Library/archive/master.zip

You can also get the latest version of the library from the GitHub repository:

https://github.com/sparkfun/SparkFun_TB6612FNG_Arduino_Library

After downloading the library, extract and copy the unzipped folder to the libraries folder of your Arduino sketchbook.

Using Blynk

Blynk (http://www.blynk.cc) allows you to control Arduino, ESP8266, ESP-12, NodeMCU, Particle Photon, Raspberry Pi, and other microcomputers with the Android or iOS installed smartphone over the internet. It also supports bluetooth and bluetooth low energy connectivity:

  1. Download the Blynk app for Android (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cc.blynk) or iOS (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/blynk-control-arduino-raspberry/id808760481?ls=1&mt=8) on your smartphone.
  2. After downloading the Blynk app, you'll need to create a new Blynk account by tapping on Create New Account. Alternatively, you can log in to the Blynk app with your Facebook account by tapping on Log In with Facebook (Figure 2.20).
Make sure to provide a real email address or your Blynk account to get the Auth Token by email.
Figure 2.20: Creating a new account for the Blynk...

Things you will need


First, you should prepare with the following things to build the Wi-Fi controlled mini round robot:

After collecting...

Assembling the Mini 3-Layer Round Robot chassis kit


The Mini 3-Layer Round Robot chassis kit (Figure 2.1) gives you everything you need to build a two-wheel drive robot chassis. The kit includes the following things:

  • Three chassis layers
  • Two drive motors (drive with 3-6V DC, 200-400 mA run, 1.5A hard stall)
  • Two wheels
  • Two rubber treads
  • Two red panels
  • Four brass standoffs
  • Four long screws
  • Eight small screws
  • Four nuts
  • Two small screws
  • One nut
  • One plastic caster ball

Figure 2.1: Mini 3-Layer Round Robot chassis kit. Image courtesy of Adafruit Industries (https://www.adafruit.com)

Assembling the wheels

First, assemble the two wheels with motors. Take the following things (Figure 2.2):

  • Two motors
  • Two wheels
  • Four long screws
  • Four nuts
  • Two black panels

Figure 2.2: Things you will need to assemble the wheels. Image courtesy of Adafruit Industries (https://www.adafruit.com); Image credits—John O'Brien-Carelli

The following steps will guide you how to assemble them together:

  1. Screw the two black panels onto the motors. The...

Wiring them together


After mounting the Arduino board, you can start to wire it with the motor driver and the ESP01.

Connecting the Arduino with motor driver

You can wire each pin of the motor driver with Arduino as follows:

  • Motor Driver AIN1 -> Arduino Digital Pin 2
  • Motor Driver BIN1 -> Arduino Digital Pin 7
  • Motor Driver AIN2 -> Arduino Digital Pin 4
  • Motor Driver BIN2 -> Arduino Digital Pin 8
  • Motor Driver PWMA -> Arduino Digital Pin (PWM) 5
  • Motor Driver PWMB -> Arduino Digital Pin (PWM) 6
  • Motor Driver STBY -> Arduino Digital Pin 9

Connecting the motors with the motor driver

You will need the SparkFun Motor Driver - Dual TB6612FNG (1A) to drive the two motors. Figure 2.17 shows the wiring diagram that you can follow to make connections between the two motors and the motor driver:

Figure 2.17: Connecting the two motors with the motor driver

  1. Connect the left motor with the A01 and A02 pads of TB6612FNG.
  2. Connect the right motor with the B01 and B02 pads of TB6612FNG.

Connecting the ESP01...

Writing sketches


This section shows you how to write sketches to control the motors with the TB6612FND Arduino library. You can download the library via the following link:

https://github.com/sparkfun/SparkFun_TB6612FNG_Arduino_Library/archive/master.zip

You can also get the latest version of the library from the GitHub repository:

https://github.com/sparkfun/SparkFun_TB6612FNG_Arduino_Library

After downloading the library, extract and copy the unzipped folder to the libraries folder of your Arduino sketchbook.

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Key benefits

  • Get familiar with ESP8266 and its features.
  • Build Wi-FI controlled robots using ESP8266
  • A project based book that will use the ESP8266 board and some of its popular variations to build robots.

Description

The ESP8266 Wi-Fi module is a self-contained SOC with an integrated TCP/IP protocol stack and can give any microcontroller access to your Wi-Fi network. It has a powerful processing and storage capability and also supports application hosting and Wi-Fi networking. This book is all about robotics projects based on the original ESP8266 microcontroller board and some variants of ESP8266 boards. It starts by showing all the necessary things that you need to build your development environment with basic hardware and software components. The book uses the original ESP8266 board and some variants such as the Adafruit HUZZAH ESP8266 and the Adafruit Feather HUZZAH ESP8266 . You will learn how to use different type of chassis kits, motors, motor drivers, power supplies, distribution boards, sensors, and actuators to build robotics projects that can be controlled via Wi-Fi. In addition, you will learn how to use line sensors, the ArduiCam, Wii Remote, wheel encoders, and the Gripper kit to build more specialized robots. By the end of this book, you will have built a Wi-Fi control robot using ESP8266.

Who is this book for?

This book is targeted at enthusiasts who are interested in developing low-cost robotics projects using ESP8266. A basic knowledge of programming will be useful but everything you need to know is are covered in the book.

What you will learn

  • Build a basic robot with the original ESP8266, Arduino UNO, and a motor driver board.
  • Make a Mini Round Robot with ESP8266 HUZZAH
  • Modify your Mini Round Robot by integrating encoders with motors
  • Use the Zumo chassis kit to build a line-following robot by connecting line sensors
  • Control your Romi Robot with Wiimote
  • Build a Mini Robot Rover chassis with a gripper and control it through Wi-Fi
  • Make a robot that can take pictures

Product Details

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Publication date : Nov 30, 2017
Length: 210 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781788474610
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Publication date : Nov 30, 2017
Length: 210 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781788474610
Category :
Concepts :
Tools :

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Table of Contents

8 Chapters
Getting Ready Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Building a Mini Round Robot with Original ESP8266 Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Using Encoders Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Building a Mini Round Robot with the Feather HUZZAH ESP8266 Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Line-Following Zumo Robot Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Building an ESP8266 Robot Controller Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Building a Gripper Robot Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Photo Rover Robot Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
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