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Overview and Introduction:

Author: Jim Burnham - TopClown@STEAMClown.org. License: Distributed as Open Source. 

Prerequisites:

• No explicit prerequisite course work or coding knowledge is required, but students are expected to have a good understanding of basic computer principles.

Caution & Safety  Considerations:

Primer:  "Aaron, I can imagine no way in which this thing could be considered anywhere remotely close to safe. All I know is I spent six hours in there and I'm still alive... You still want to do it?"

• As with any activity, please make sure you are using appropriate safety equipment.   If you are coding, writing, reading, or working a lab, make sure you stand up and stretch every hour or so,  Please consider any safety issues connecting to a Raspberry Pi, Arduino, computers and other electronic equipment.

Essential Questions:

• What can you do with a Neato/Roomba Vacuum? 

Key Academic Vocabulary or Concepts:

Rovers & Robots

Unit Topics and Lessons

Neato & Roomba - Hacking & Pulling / Replacing With Micro/Motor Controller:

Neato Hijacking & Interfacing To USB & API:

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

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

• \

• 
  

Reference, Attribution & Resources:

Teachers - Unit, Module and Lesson Plans

If you are a teacher and want to connect and teach this Lesson or Module, discuss how I teach it, give me feedback, please contact me at TopClown@STEAMClown.org 

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Standards Alignments & Objectives:

I’ll work on getting these in, but it’s the last thing I want to work on :-) When I have them updated, I’ll move to the top of the Lesson Plan. 

• NGSS: <list standard numbers>

• California CTE Standards: <list standard numbers>

• Related Instructional Objectives (SWBAT):  <list standard numbers>

• CCSS: nnn, RSIT: nnn, RLST: nnn, WS: nnn, WHSST: nnn, A-CED: nnn, ETS: nnn  <list standard numbers>

• Main Standard:

• Priority standards:

• National Standards:

Resource Attribution:
Sites Referenced or Summarized:

• Reference Text Book - Basic College Mathematics with Early Integers 4th edition - Elayn Martin-Gay - University of New Orleans - Pearson

• Reference Sites - 

Images:

• https://imgbin.com/png/ZJtzkYZZ/under-construction-png

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Random Stuff To Sort

Resource Key:

<Unit> - <Module Name> - Lessons - Daily/Weekly Lesson Plan

Key: 📰 Slides / Audio 🎧 / 📽️▶️ Video/YouTube / 🎧▶️📽️ Audio/Video / ✨ Resources /  🖼️ Tutorial / 📖 Reading Activity / 📝 Writing Activity / 📖 📝 Reading/Writing / 📟 Coding / 🛠️ LAB Activity / 🚀 Quiz /  🔎 Review /  ✔️ Mastery Check / ✍️ Sign Up /🍕 Extra Credit / 🕸️ Web Links / 👩🏽‍🎓🧑🏽‍🎓🧑🏿‍🎓👩‍🏫 Class / 🏵️📜📃 Certificate / 🗂️ 📈 Collecting Survey Data

/🧟 Review / 🦾 Practice / 🆙Level Up /

🎚️🦑📤🎯  🚧

- 🦑 Special Project -

Assignment Type: ⚓ Establishing (Minimum Standard) / ⛏️ Developing (Digging Deeper) / 💎 Aspiring (Putting It Together)

This is an ⚓ Establishing Assignment (Minimum Standard)  - "Everyone Do" Assignment

This is an ⛏️ Developing (Digging Deeper) - "Everyone Should Do, To Stretch" Assignment

This is an 💎 Aspiring (Putting It Together)  - "When you have done the ⚓ Establishing and⛏️ Developing" Assignment

• 🚀 Formative Quiz - 🔎 Review

• 🚀 Quiz -🔀 Mastery Path

• 🚀 Summative Quiz -✔️ Skills Mastery Check

Quiz - verify that they are all listed as a "Formative", "Mastery Path", or "Summative" 

• 🚀 Formative Quiz - These are quizzes that the students can take a few times. I have them either set for unlimited times, or 3-5 times, where the final score is their average. The idea is that these Formative Quizzes are designed for students to learn and master a skill.  while I want them to ger 100%, and when it's set to unlimited tries, the student should get 100% eventually.  When the quiz is set to 3-5 tries with an average, then they should be prepared and should take the quiz seriously. I set the quiz to not show the right answer, but I do let them see their wrong answer.  I also put the explanation of the right and wrong answer in the right and wrong answer prompt for each question.  That way they can see why they got the answer wrong and learn from that experience.  

  • 8.1.0.3.2.4 - Python - Ch 3 - Functions - Quiz #2 -Built-In Functions - 🚀 Formative Quiz

• 🚀 Quiz -🔀 Mastery Path - These Mastery path quizzes are to be presented after the student has had a chance to do some labs and some Formative quizzes.   The goal is to let students have 2 chances to take this quiz, and take the average of the 2 attempts.  Based on the average, they will be presented with a Canvas Mastery Path, where they will have an option for take additional quiz and assignments to help with remediation.  This will get them ready to take the Summative Quizzes.

  • 8.1.0.3.3.1 -  Python - Ch 3 - Functions - Mastery Quiz #1 - 🚀 Quiz -🔀 Mastery Path

• 🚀 Summative Quiz -✔️ Skills Mastery Check - These Mastery path quizzes are to be presented after the student has had a chance to do some labs and some Formative quizzes.   The goal is to let students have 2 chances to take this quiz, and take the average of the 2 attempts. That will be their final module/subject topic grade.

  • 8.1.0.3.3.1 -  Python - Ch 3 - Functions - Skills Mastery Check Quiz #1 - 🚀 Summative Quiz -✔️ Skills Mastery Check