DFRobotShop Rover Arduino Robot Review

Introduction

We first saw the DFRobotShop Rover Robot Kit on RobotShop's Website while looking for some components for our next project. After looking through various "tracked" robot kits we decided to give this kit a try.

This kit was choses because of its simplicity. In the past we worked with other tracked robot kits and found them often times difficult to work with. The tracks alone take up a great deal of time to put together if at all you can put them together.

Thankfully enough, RobotShop offered to help us out with this project and agreed to work with us on the review. Once we recieved the product we eagerly opened up the box and began the review process. We have to start by saying when we saw the contents we were impressed by its simplicity. There everything was clearly marked and it was obvious what was going to do what in the kit with little to no reading. Kudos to DFRobot and RobotShop for putting this together.



Lastly, we feel that this kit is great for those of you looking to start out with a more advanced kit but aren't quite ready to get knee deep into complicated details. This kit exposes you to basic construction, assembly, sensors and Arduino microcontrollers. There is no soldering required - however - we recommend soldering a few pieces to ensure they don't come lose when the DFRobotShop Rover is out and about!

Overview

The RobotShop DFRobotShop Rover kit comes with a Tamiya twin motor gearbox, Tamiya track & wheel set, arduino compatible robot controller and everything else you need to put it together. Not to mention a nifty pen from RobotShop!

• Versatile, programmable robot tank kit
• Arduino compatible based on ATMEga328
• Dual H-bridge and onboard voltage regulator (only one battery needed)
• Compatible with a variety of shields
• Temperature and light sensor included
• No soldering required

Kit Contents

• Assembled DFRobotShop Rover Robot Controller (PCB)
• Tamiya Twin-Wheel Gear Box
• Track and Wheel Set
• Hardware (i.e. screws, nuts, stand offs)
• Assembly Instructions
• 4x AA Battery Holder
• DFRobotShop Rover Aluminum Frame
• Sharp IR Sensor
• Lynxmotion Multi-Purpose Sensor Mount
• SeeedStudio Solar Charger Shield
• LiPo Battery

Specifications

• Arduino compatible and shield stackable
• Based on ATMEGA328 surface mount chip and L293B H Bridge
• Incorporates dual H-bridge for bi-directional motor control (digital pins 5, 6, 7 and 8)
• Voltage regulator included (connected to battery input and 3.5mm barrel connector)
• Light sensor and temperature sensor pre-soldered and selectable via jumpers
• Easy connection to DFRobot Bluetooth and APC220 wireless modules
• Large prototyping area for one 400 tie-point or 170 tie-point solderless breadboards or your own “cargo”
• I2C male connectors for easy connection
• “Universal connection point” at the front of the robot (see specifications for compatibility)
• 6x Blue LEDs around the board for effect (selectable via jumper LED_SEL)
• In-system programming via ICSP
• 4x LEDs to indicate motor direction

Quick Review

Our intent with the Quick Review is to talk about the high level view of the robot kit. We have created a video that quickly gets you up to speed with the robot kit and makes everything clear.

This video is not available yet

Assembly and Construction

To make this part as easy and straight forward as possible we have recorded a multi-part step by step video on how to assemble and work with the RobotShop/DFRobot DFRobotShop Rover robot kit. The time for construction for this kit was not all that long. However, prepare to sit down and do a little fancy footwork here and there. Especially when it comes to building the gear box.

Support

We gave RobotShop a 5 for support. There online support and forums are stellar and one to modeled after. They have everything you need to get you going at the click of a button. Great job!

In regards to constructing the actual kit, we found it straight forward. There were some snags along the way - mainly due to some of the Tamiya products and the fact that some of the steps are not clear and concise as we would like for them to be. However, they were clearly illustrated.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a great kit to get started out in robotics if you have some knowledge of working with electronics and are ready to dive into the world of Arduino compatible controllers. Undrestand this is a good kit to start with and possible prototype with. However, the kit does not have a lot of room to add additional components. Such as say a camera or Laser Range Finder. However, we believe that falls outside the typical audience / customer for this type of robot kit.

Where To Buy?

RobotShop Website