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Using my RedBot BoosterPack I have created a small remote control robot. The motors + chassis costs $15 from SparkFun so it's a pretty low cost solution to get started in robotics.

 

On the controller side I use the CC1101L for wireless communication and the Educational BoosterPack MKII for the joystick. The F5529 LaunchPad simply reads the joystick value and decides which way the robot should move and transmits the data using the CC1101L. Here is a picture of the controller, note the CC1101L is on the bottom of the LaunchPad to make the joystick easy to use.

post-302-0-26768700-1403062885_thumb.jpg

 

On the robot side the F5529 LaunchPad is connected to the CC1101L BoosterPack to receive the data from the joystick. It then uses the RedBot BoosterPack to control the robot. 

post-302-0-70475300-1403062941_thumb.jpg

 

The GitHub repository is located here, which includes hardware + software. The remote control code isn't uploaded yet but will be once I clean it up.

 

And now a video of it in action (phone quality).

 

 

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This is super cool! I'm continually impressed by the simpicity of the CC110L SubGHz RF BoosterPack. The Energia library makes bi-directional RF communication absolutely trivial!

 

Your BoosterPack is a great way of leveraging both the SparkFun RedBot ecosystem of sensors, chassis, etc, while still being able to stack additional BoosterPacks from the TI ecosystem...

 

Do you think you could power the RedBot motors, components, LaunchPad, etc using the BOOSTXL-BATTPACK Lithium Polymer Battery BoosterPack?

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The way the design is set up the board would not work with that Lithium Polymer Battery BoosterPack. The motor driver IC is connected straight to the battery source to provide the best performance for the motors. You could probably jump the 5V output from the BoosterPack to the barrel connector and disable the LDO with the onboard switch and have it work, but running off the 6V battery included with the magician chassis will still perform better.

 

As for this project, the battery BoosterPack would make perfect sense on the remote side to be used with the CC1101L BoosterPack and the Educational Boosterpack MK II to control the robot.

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...  The motors + chassis costs $15 from SparkFun so it's a pretty low cost solution to get started in robotics ...

 

Do you have a url link on sparkfun.com to this package? All I could find were versions that were much more expensive.

 

-rick

 

Edit: Figures, after I spent a bunch more time searching. I found it.  It is called "Magician Chassis". They also sell another one called "RedBot' which is a lot more expensive.  Here is the $15 one:

 

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10825

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Yes I guess the "RedBot" is actually the Magician Chassis, with the RedBoard and some line following sensors and an accelerometer. The "Magician Chassis" is just the chassis with motors which sells for $15. The BoosterPack aims to replace the RedBoard for the LaunchPad ecosystem.

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