QB: Two-Wheeled Arduino Robot for Makers of All Ages

What's a QB?

QB is a cube shaped (90x90x90 mm) Arduino Nano controlled robot. He has two chunky 68mm diameter x 25 mm wide wheels driven by geared DC mini motors. A free spinning ball bearing which acts as a sort third wheel and keeps QB level and stable.  QB’s Arduino Nano micro-controller is mounted on a prototyping shield that provides many convenient pin out options and battery power conditioning.

QB compact, cube shaped body houses all of the working components. No ugly dangling wires and exposed electronics.  The USB C ports on the Arduino Nano and for charging the battery are externally accessible, so QB does not have to be taken apart for programming or charging. I was aiming for a finished look which is compact and cute.

The intention is for QB to be a platform for learning Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). QB is challenging build,  but a teenager or adult with a bit of technical aptitude should be able to build one,  have a lot of fun in the process, all the while learning electronics, Arduino (C++) programming, and CAD/CAM.  The components that cannot be 3D printed are inexpensive and readily available on-line. If you have trouble sourcing or printing the parts please email me and I will try to help.

No doubt that with a little imagination and coding, QB can be programmed for mine sweeping, seeking a hidden object in a maze, maze solving, exploring/collision avoidance, to read and follow a series of “Go Turtle” commands or real time direct remote control using a joystick, to dance and sing and many other things.

The downloads include 

• All the STLs for the 3D printable parts.

• QB installation, non-printable parts list and assembly guide.

• Photos

• Fully functional Arduino code - ready to upload 

• BGB Robot Controller - A robot control app for Bluetooth enabled Android devices (includes source code):

• BGB Blockly Programmer for QB- A programming tool based on Google Blockly that can be used to program QB.  (need internet connection).

See QB in action!

Check out the BGB Facebook page to watch the remote trigger the "Hockey Pockey" in real-time! https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17yHAyrXLJ/

Check out BGB's CYD Robot Controller!

Many children don have access to an Android device to use as a remote controller, so I made one with an ESP32 "Cheap Yellow Display" (CYD) - complete with a 3D printable cover that makes the ESP32 CYD look like a game console. Check it out.  https://www.printables.com/model/1614769-bgb-esp32-cyd-remote-controller-for-bt-enabled-rob

Use Freely – Share Generously – Acknowledge Thoughtfully

Jorge Garcia, PhD
Principal, Brittle Gum Bench Works

e-mail: [email protected]

Donations (any amount appreciated) : https://paypal.me/brittlegumbw

Visit the Brittle Gum Benchworks Facebook Page

Acknowledgements
BGB Robot Controller and BGB Blockly Programmer - were coded with the assistance of Copilot (Microsoft) and Claude (Anthropic) using resources made available by Google (Android Studio and the Blockly Project).  Original concept and design is my own.

Early coding and component ideas from the DroneBot Workshop 2017 https://dronebotworkshop.com - RobotCarSpeedSensorDemo.ino… and from the examples and other information in the libraries on GitHub. I also drew a lot of design inspiration from Otto Wheels https://www.ottodiy.com/academy

License
This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0. See https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.en.html. This license enables you to use the project without restriction, on the condition that any modifications that you make must also be shared in the same way.