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Introduction & Overview

This page is mostly focused on the Differential Drive Rovers, but these are varied, and come in large (Arcadia Tractors) and small, like the DIY RC and other diff drive tank tread Rovers.   These are a mix or different classroom rovers.  The DIY Robo Cars/Rovers will tend to be ones that follow the DIY/Donkey car build method.  Many of the other Rover types will also be DIY Rovers, but will have their own specific characteristics and have their own project data

Heimdall - Robot & Rover Platform - Features, Sensors, Communication, Safety

Heimdall Project - Rover Sensor / Telemetry / Safety / Communication that Transends the Drive platform of the Rover/Robot.  Heimdall could "see" and "hear" exceptionally well as he protected Asgard, so that is the name of this project.  There are lots of project and features that have not been implemented, and need a team

Rover Robot Club Topics To Pick... Pick One 

• I2c Arduino 2 Raspberry Pi - Learn about the I2C bus, and how to have a Raspberry Pi Controller and an Arduino Target.  Write some RPi functions to get data from an Arduino over an I2C bus.  Write some C++ Arduino functions to collect and have data ready for the Raspberry Pi.

• Neato Lidar - Take a look at the Neato Lidar part and collect the data.  How do we read and get data from a Neato Lidar.

• Raspberry Pi Ultrasonic Sensor - create a step by step to use the Ultrasonic distance sensor of a Raspberry Pi

• Raspberry Pi IR Line Following Sensor - create a step by step to use the IR Line Following sensor on a Raspberry Pi

• Arduino IR Line Following Sensor - create a step by step to use the IR Line Following sensor on an Arduino - Write function that has the data so it can be passes over I2C

• Raspberry Pi Camera - Process Fiducial Image - create a step by step to use a USB camera on the Raspberry Pi to detect a fiducial code image. 

• Create Neopixel functions - create functions where when called will pass a pattern to a set of 5 neopixels - Think,  

  • Showing the status of 5 IR sensors from an IR line following data function

  • Show status, like power good, heart beat good, PID loop good, motor rotation direction, etc....

  • If this is done on an Arduino, then have the data packaged up to be passed over an I2C bus to a Raspberry Pi

• Reading Motor Encoder data - Take the input of the encoder data and use it to count wheel rotation. Keep track of left and right wheel rotations

  • Do this for an Arduino

  • Do this for a Raspberry Pi

  • Use in a PID loop options to control motors and keep the left and right aligned.

• Mesh Network?  - Create a system where 2-3 rovers are passing data and coordinating in some way.

• Laser Beacon?  - Learn about a laser at ground level and see if you can have a rover detect the laser and use it as a beacon.  Can it navigate based on where the laser is.  Think Light House.

• Arcadia "Swift" Lidars - Figure out how the Lidar on the Arcadia Rovers works

• Raspberry Pi GPS - Create a step by step to use a GPS module with a Raspberry Pi

• Raspberry Pi - R/C Controller + Pi - Create a step by step to use a the DIY RoboCars R/C Receiver Servo input + RPi interface

• Arduino Nano R/C Servo Inputs from R/C Receiver - Create a step by step to use an Arduino Nano to receive and decode the output from a R/C Receiver on the "Servo" PWM output

• Raspberry Pi - Apache and PHP - Get a PHP server running with the Apache2 server. The idea would be to use system calls, Python, and PHP to provide useful information that can be PHP'ed to a Web page.  Stuff like Rover status, temp, voltage, etc.  IP address, if SSH is on, etc.

  • https://raspberry-projects.com/pi/software_utilities/web-servers/phpapache

  • https://www.instructables.com/Setup-a-Raspberry-Pi-PHP-web-server/ - though I would rather this gets solved with Apache2, than lighttpd

  • https://pimylifeup.com/raspberry-pi-apache/

  • https://xavier.arnaus.net/blog/install-php-8-2-into-a-raspberry-pi-4-with-apache2-support

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBbTkBy2blI

• Raspberry Pi & 2x16 or 4x20 LDC Screen - Create a step by step to use a the Raspberry Pi with Python to display status information on the 2x16 or 4x20 LCD.  Specifically, I want a "when powered on, display the device IP address.

More Ideas that need more thought, but still options if you want a challenge

• Rpi/Arduino radio beacon

• Rpi/ cell on micro device

• Viam - more than default

NEATO Robots

Raspberry Pi Controlled Neato Vacuum "Rovers"

• Neato Robots - Getting Started & Resources Guide

  • AM - Neato Teams Engineering Docs

  • PM - Neato Teams Engineering Docs

2025-2026 Teams

2023-2024 Teams

• AM/PM 1 - Mr. Burnham

• AM/PM 2 - Mr. Burnham

• AM 6 - David Contreras / Victor Li

• AM 7 - Minh Doan / Phillip Le

• AM 8 - Antonio Ebner / Daveed Hernandez

• PM 5 - Lijia Becerra / Lexi Hunt

• PM 3 - Nicolas Colton / Kevin Wong

• PM 4 - Alexander Duran / Charley Poff

VIAM "Party" Rovers

Raspberry Pi Controlled VIAM "Rovers"

• VIAM Robots/Rovers - Getting Started & Resource Guide 

  • VIAM Teams Engineering Docs

2025-20264 Teams

2023-2024 Teams

• AM/PM 1 - Mr. Burnham 

• AM 2 - Anthony Lenz / Malik Martinez

• PM 3 - Jesus Aguirre / Damian Renteria

• PM 4 - Connor Nguyen / Irvin Olmos

Differential Rovers/Robots

Raspberry Pi Controlled Differential "Rovers"

• Rovers - Differential Drive Rovers - Getting Started & Resources Guide 

  • AM - Diff Rovers Teams Engineering Docs

  • PM - Diff Rovers Teams Engineering Docs

2026-2027 Teams

AM Rover Teams

• sss

PM Rover Teams

• nnn

2026-2027 Rover Teams

• AM Rover Teams

Team 1:
Team 2: 

• PM Rover Teams:

Team 1:
Team 2: 

DIY ROBOCARS

Raspberry Pi Controlled RC Cars Turned Into "Rovers"

• DIY RoboCars - RC Cars Converted to Donkey Cars 

• Track Specifications

2023-2024 Teams

• xx

Mechatronics Engineering - Robot Cars - Lessons,  Lectures, Labs:

• Lesson 1 - Intro to RC cars

• Lesson 2 - How Radios Work to the RC controller

• Lesson 3 - Raspberry Pi - Controlling a Servo

• Lesson 4 - Raspberry Pi - 16 Channel Servo Controller and I2C

• 
  

Random Stuff To Sort or Delete!!!

Random Stuff To Sort

• Part 1 Raspberry Pi Wifi RC Car with Webcam Tutorial

  • 4 videos part 1,2,3,4

• http://2xod.com/articles/raspberry-pi-wifi-usb-webcam-rc-car/

• Donkey Car parts - Sombrero for connecting a Lipo Bat to gives the Car motors and the Raspberry Pi <-- But You can't get these

• May be able to get some ideas, even if this is a kit. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyMq5KOcgTg

• Instructables - Raspberry Pi Smartphone Controlled RC Car

• Raspberry Pi Autonomous Car - Open CV & Donkeycar

• Battery Connector Types

  • https://www.hobbywingdirect.com/blogs/news/14906981-rc-101-battery-balance-connector-type

  • 
    

Robot Resources, Tip, Tricks, and Other Topics

• Emergency Stop Buttons and Emergency Circuit Design Resources

  • Raw Email/text about Emergency Stop

  • Emergency Stop Buttons and Circuit

Teachers - Unit, Module and Lesson Plans