Chapter 1, Getting Ready, introduces the original ESP8266, that is, ESP-01, sets up a development environment with the hardware and software needed to write code for ESP8266, and explains how to use the Arduino Core to write code for ESP8266 boards with the Arduino IDE. This chapter will also present how to use the AT command with PuTTY to execute on an ESP8266.
Chapter 2, Building a Mini Round Robot with Original ESP8266, explains how to build a Mini Round Robot using the Mini 3-Layer Round Robot Chassis Kit with the ESP-01 board, Arduino, and some electronics. This chapter will also explain how to develop a Blynk app to control the robot through a Wi-Fi network.
Chapter 3, Using Encoders, shows how to modify the Mini 3-Layer Round Robot you built in the previous chapter by integrating a wheel encoder kit to calculate average speed and distance traveled based on the pulses generated by the hall-effect sensors. This chapter will also explain how to modify the Blynk app you built in the previous chapter to show the calculated average speed and distance traveled.
Chapter 4, Building a Mini Round Robot with the Feather HUZZAH ESP8266, shows how to replace the original ESP8266 board with a physically smaller and more lightweight Feather HUZZAH ESP8266 board. The chapter will also explain how to develop a Blynk app to control the robot through a Wi-Fi network.
Chapter 5, Line-Following Zumo Robot, teaches how to build a robot that follows a line, either a black line on a white surface or a white line on a black surface, by integrating a Line Follower Array. The chapter will also explain how to build a line following course.
Chapter 6, Building an ESP8266 Robot Controller, shows how to build an ESP8266-based simple Robot Controller that can be used to control a Romi Robot through a Wi-Fi network using Blynk Bridge.
Chapter 7, Building a Gripper Robot, explains how to build a robot based on the Mini Robot Rover chassis, a parallel Gripper Kit, and a servo motor. The chapter will also explain how to build a Blynk app to control the gripper through a Wi-Fi network.
Chapter 8, Photo Rover Robot, shows how to build a rover robot that can be used to take pictures with an ArduCAM from remote locations and view them using a web browser. The robot uses a web socket server that allows you to control the camera using a simple web-based interface. The same interface can be used to view the captured image as well.