Overview:

Links to the Differential Drive Robot AM, PM teams blog pages, and general inks useful to all the teams.

General Resources:

• • 2024-2025 - Neato Teams Engineering Notebook

  • Camp Peavy Homebrewed Robots!!! Book (PDF) <-- If You Are NOT In My Mechatronics Class, You Should BUY This Here On Amazon

  • STEAM Clown's GITHub for Neato

  • AM 2023-2024 - Neato Teams Engineering Notebook

  • PM 2023-2024 - Neato Teams Engineering Notebook 

Neato Specific Hardware Resources/Sites:

• • Neato Parts - Neato Drive Motors in STEAM Clown's Closet

    • 3D Print Motor Mount - 4/13/2025

Other Sites:

Lesson, Lectures. Labs

Random Stuff To Sort

• Neato All Series Documentation - https://support.neatorobotics.com/hc/en-us/articles/225369607-Neato-All-Series-Documentation#h_01F6HE7072RHK1CKK751353ES4

• Camps Github - https://github.com/cpeavy2/botvac_node <-- this may be a good starting point.

  • https://www.servomagazine.com/magazine/article/neato-ros-robot-navigation?utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_YWjRxNRtTAVIalmoN1_ALGJBu0bBlbOJkKtI1ng_uHJYMV7idC9zmPdRobklLzMrfl5ExXDTzRXHe36G-Z5FX0yAocOPy56DDxEEPF5dGH4cq1LY&_hsmi=295173598&utm_content=295173598&utm_source=hs_email

• Alright... I've updated my "cheat sheet" so... here's the 1, 2, 3, 4. I assume you have an Ubuntu workstation with ROS Kinetic installed: http://wiki.ros.org/kinetic/Installation/Ubuntu

•  

• After which install the intro_to_ros package: https://github.com/SV-ROS/intro_to_ros

•  

• One important thing I've discovered is the ".bashrc" file configuration... generally remark (#) out anything about the ROS environment and add the following 3 lines:

•  

• export ROS_MASTER_URI=http://robot:11311

• export ROS_HOST=remote_computer:11311

• source ~/catkin_ws/devel/setup.bash

•  

• Where "robot" is the Raspberry Pi (i.e. robot) and "remote_computer" is the name of your ROS host. IP addresses could be used. Oh! One more thing... I prefer to use the keyboard teleop package from the original TurtleBot: http://wiki.ros.org/teleop_twist_keyboard

•  

• So with remote workstation (ROS host) ready to go and the Pi booted and “pingable”… plug it into the robot (with the robot turned on). The first thing I do is start a "ping terminal" if I have problems anywhere down the line immediately go back to this window and make sure you have a "heartbeat".and

•  

• Next ssh to "robot" (i.e. ubuntu@robot) default password is “ubuntu”.

•  

• I generally (always) start a session with "sudo ntpdate pool.ntp.org" on both Pi and host. This synchronizes the computers. BTW you might want to install “ntpdate” and “minicom”.

•  

• Next change mode on Pi to get r/w access to the robot "sudo chmod 666 /dev/ttyACM0".

•  

• Next launch "roslaunch bv80bot_node bv80bot_base_only.launch" on robot (Raspberry Pi).*

•  

• Next launch "roslaunch bv80bot_node bv80bot_map_gui.launch" on the remote workstation (ROS host).

•  

• Finally launch "rosrun teleop_twist_keyboard teleop_twist_keyboard.py" if you've installed the TurtleBot's Teleop Keyboard. Now with “teleop_twist_keyboard” you should be able to drive around and make a map! Yay!

•  

• Drive around and make a map... try and end up where you started because the navigation stack will assume that starting position otherwise you’d have to estimate your pose.

•  

• After you've created your map open a new terminal window and change directories: "roscd neato_2dnav/maps". Save your map with "rosrun map_server map_saver"

•  

• After SAVING your map kill the gmapping (grid-mapping) window "<ctr> c" (the terminal window where you launched the mapping and GUI.

•  

• Then paste "roslaunch bv80bot_node bv80bot_nav_gui.launch" into that window. This will launch the map server, rviz, path-planner and localizer. Now with a little bit of luck you should be able to select "goal" click somewhere on the map and (as mentioned) with a little bit of luck the robot will navigate to that goal.

•  

• Congratulations!

• Let me know if !@#$'s, ???'s or !!!'s.

• Thanks,

• Camp

•  

• * Note there seems to be a bug on line 119... if you get this error delete ", scan.intensities" and it will go away. 

Another link from Camp on maybe a class - https://sites.google.com/site/comprobofall14/home

• The  Victor  883 speed controllers (Discontinued)  - The Victor speed controllers are specifically engineered for robotic applications. The high current capacity, low voltage drop, and peak surge capacity make the Victor ideal for drive systems while its braking options and precise control meet the demanding needs of arms and lift systems. Technical Drawing

  • Found that the PWM control for the servo connection is basically CCW, Stopped, or CW in the range of servo values 87,95,98 

• Neato + ROS = Navigation - Servo Magazine - Article by Camp Peevy

  • Github - https://wiki.ros.org/neato_robot

  • Github - https://github.com/SV-ROS/intro_to_ros

  • maybe some Ubiquity Robotics stuff - https://github.com/UbiquityRobotics/ubiquity_main/blob/kinetic/README.md

  • Neato Developers - https://developers.neatorobotics.com/

• Servo Magazine - Controlling Robots Over the Internet

• \

• 
  

Teachers - Unit, Module and Lesson Plans