The Zumo robot is an Arduino-controllable tracked robot platform
that is less than 10 cm × 10 cm—small enough to qualify for Mini
Sumo. It includes two micro metal gearmotors coupled to a pair of
silicone tracks, a stainless steel bulldozer-style blade, an
array of six infra-red reflectance sensors for line following or
edge detection, a buzzer for simple sounds and music, a 3-axis
accelerometer, magnetometer, and gyro for detecting impacts and
tracking orientation. Just add 4 AA batteries and an Arduino (or
compatible controller) and you are ready to push! No soldering or
assembly is required.
The Zumo robot is a low-profile tracked robot platform intended
for use with an Arduino (or compatible device) as its main
controller. It measures less than 10 cm on each side and weighs
approximately 300 g with an Arduino Uno and batteries (165 g
without, as shipped), so it is both small enough and light enough
to qualify for Mini-Sumo competitions. It uses two 75:1 HP micro
metal gearmotors to drive the treads, providing plenty of torque
and a top speed of approximately 2 feet per second (60 cm/s),
which makes it much more agile than competing robots like the
Solarbotics Sumovore and Parallax SumoBot while still offering
plenty of control. The Zumo robot includes a 0.036"-thick
laser-cut stainless steel sumo blade ed to the front of the
chassis for pushing around objects like other robots, and a
reflectance sensor array ed along the front edge of the Zumo
(behind the sumo blade) allows the Zumo to detect features on the
ground in front of it, such as lines for following or edges for
avoiding.
The Zumo control board is essentially a shield for the Arduino
Uno or Leonardo, both of which can be plugged directly into the
shield’s male header pins, face down. (It is not compatible with
the Arduino Mega or Due, but it can be used with older Arduinos
that have the same form factor as the Uno, such as the
Duemilanove.) The shield includes dual motor drivers, a buzzer
for playing simple sounds and music, a user pushbutton, and a
3-axis accelerometer, compass, and gyro for sensing impacts
and tracking orientation. It also boosts the battery voltage to
power the Arduino and breaks out the Arduino I/O lines, reset
button, and user LED for convenient access and to accommodate
additional sensors. The only difference between this and the
previous Zumo Robot version is the use of a v1.2 Zumo shield in
place of the previous shield version. This newer control board
has a newer accelerometer/magnetometer module and adds a 3-axis
gyro, but it is otherwise identical to the previous shield.
The Zumo Arduino libraries make it easy to interface with all of
the integrated hardware, and a number of sample programs are
provided that show how to use the Zumo’s reflectance array,
pushbutton, buzzer, and motors. There is also a basic LSM303
Arduino library and L3G Arduino library that make it easier
interface with the built-in LSM303D 3-axis accelerometer and
magnetometer and L3GD20H 3-axis gyro.
The robot ships as shown in the main product picture; no assembly
or soldering is required. An appropriate Arduino (or compatible
controller) and four AA batteries are required but not included.
- This Zumo robot is a low-profile tracked robot platform intended for use with an Arduino (or compatible device, such as an A-Star 32U4 Prime) as its main controller..
- It uses two 75:1 HP micro metal gearmotors to drive the treads, providing plenty of torque and a top speed of approximately 2 feet per second (60 cm/s)..
- The Zumo robot includes a 0.036"-thick laser-cut stainless steel sumo blade ed to the front of the chassis for pushing around objects like other robots..
- The Zumo robot has a reflectance sensor array ed along the front edge of the Zumo (behind the sumo blade) allows the Zumo to detect features on the ground in front of it, such as lines for following or edges for avoiding..
- Required Accessories (Not Included): Arduino or compatible control board (Arduino Uno, Leonardo, NOT COMPATIBLE with Mega or Due). Four AA batteries (Alkaline or NiMH)..