Skip to main content

Raspberry Pi - Python Junkbot using ExplorerHat Pro



Junkbots (http://junkbots.blogspot.co.uk/) are based around using  materials such as drink's cans, broken propellors and motors to produce something that moves by vibration. Previous designs be found at:



The latest tweak to the Raspberry Pi based Junkbot design is to use the combination of Python and Pimoroni's Explorer HAT PRO to control it. Explorer HAT Pro is a good choice, it can control two motors with a library provided to simplify the programming. For this the Junkbot was the one shown above: a drinks can, pen, LEGO bits, motor and broken propellor.

Before the Explorer HAT can be used the library needs to be installed via the Terminal and the instructions below

curl get.pimoroni.com/explorerhat | bash

Python code to control the junkbot is shown below.
import explorerhat
from time import sleep

def spin1(duration):
    explorerhat.motor.one.forward(100)
    sleep(duration)
    explorerhat.motor.one.stop()

def spin2(duration):
    explorerhat.motor.one.backward(100)
    sleep(duration)
    explorerhat.motor.one.stop()

spin1(1)
spin2(1)

Essentially the code spins the junkbot one way and then the other.

 If you do use or modify please leave a comment, I would love to see what others do with it.


All opinions in this blog are the Author's and should not in any way be seen as reflecting the views of any organisation the Author has any association with.

If you would like to know more about the Junkbots project contact scott.turner@northampton.ac.uk
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

junkbots 3 - bring it all together

Junkbots session 3: Move the robot but now there are rocks in the way.  This is the last of three posts - Introduction and sequence - Loops and just having fun - This one: Making decisions and bringing it all together. What is the Junkbots project The Junkbots project has been running for a number of years as an initiative to bring sustainability, computing and engineering together by building bots out of junk; details of the project can be found at.  https://junkbots.blogspot.com/  . Junkbots is an extension of the Research into the teaching problem-solving going on at the University of Northampton please feel to visit  https://computingnorthampton.blogspot.com/2019/01/problem-solving-research-outputs-and.html  for more details.   What are we going to do? ·         Play with a Scratch robot on the screen! ·         Build on the routines from the previous session. ·    ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Junkbot Raspberry Pi: 3 How to do it

Figure 1 In previous posts I start looked at using ScratchGPIO to control a junkbot  ( http://junkbots.blogspot.com/2014/08/junkbot-pi-1-scratchgpio.html ) and showed a Pi controlled junkbot briefly in action ( http://junkbots.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/junkbot-raspberry-pi-2-raspberry-pi.html ). In this post I aim to discuss - Choice of motor controller card - Provide an example of a drawing junkbot controlled through Scratch and Raspberrry Pi Choice of interface/Controller card The card choosen was the 4Tronix PiRoCon card  ( http://4tronix.co.uk/store/index.php?rt=product/product&product_id=182 ). Selected for four reasons - Price is reasonable (in my opinion). - Fits straight onto the Pi through the GPIO - no extra cables needed. - ScratchGPIO has it as an addon so it makes programming it even easier (see http://cymplecy.wordpress.com/2013/10/31/pirocon-from-4tronix/ ). - Others are using it for robot projects. Use it is quite easy plug the board directl...
Post a Comment
Read more

Brooke Weston Event

Students at Brooke Weston School, Corby have been working with the University of Northampton's School of Science and Technology on the junkbots project. Scott Turner and Terry Tudor on the 16th and 17th February 2010 went to the school to run the sessions. Starting with a talk and activities on waste management, including how much waste the UK produced, and in terms of numbers of slices of toast what is the cost of energy of leaving a monitor on overnight.   The task was to produce robots out of rubbish that could carry other rubbish into a containment area. The change made to the sessions was that students brought there own 'junk' to the sessions. S ome innovative and creative designs were produced involving 'legs', wheels (including turning cans into wheels and wheels from old toys).    Some of the designs pushed rubbish into the area, but one of the designs carried the rubbish into the area and some designs used magnets to pick up small steel parts (nuts a...
1 comment
Read more