Two wheels, two motors, and multiple control style, this is the self-balancing robot called Balanbot. But the biggest question that comes to my mind right now is: what’s new at this kit compared with the variety of self-balancing kits already released on the market? The answer at this question can make this kit to find its place inside the educational and hobbyists’ areas, or the worst thing that can be happened is to remain forever in a forgotten corner of things without chances of winning.
One cool thing that can be identified at this project is the variety of control style including the well-known smartphone, gamepad, computer or a remote control. This flexibility in control is a plus of the kit compared with other self-balancing robots that have one or two control methods.
The kit has an open-source body and is designed around the open-source prototyping platform Arduino UNO. The designers keep the body simple and implement a modular system that allows users, regardless of age, to assemble the kit. No fluff, only the basics.
Crafting a good robot means to test and innovate new methods and technologies. Of course, this is not our case, but even so, the Balanbot is one of the self-balanced robots that can keep its balance and flexibility even it’s pushed.
I believe in robots and their power in children’s education or as experimental tools for makers and hackers. Balanbot is a good platform for education and for anyone discouraged to build from scratch any self-balancing robot.
The balancing robot is controlled by an Arduino UNO microcontroller, which is not a surprise in this field. The microcontroller is interfaced with two high torque gear motors, an L298P for driving motors, and a Balanced Shield compatible with the Arduino board. One remarkable thing is that the Balanced Shield uses the MPU6050 6-axis motion-tracking device with 3-axis gyroscope and a 3-axis accelerometer.
From Arduino sketches to algorithms, Balanced is a robot with personality. It can be pushed or pulled, and it still keeps the balance. These properties are due to the Kalman filter which is used for a series of measurements in order to keep the robot at a stable angle.
With a variety of controllers, any user can choose how to communicate with the robot. Using adapters such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, the possibilities to have wireless communication is endless.
With an open-source body, a 6-axis motion-tracking device, with a stable angle maintained by Kalman filter, and a lot of control options, Balanbot has chances to finish a successfully campaign on Indiegogo and become a partner for children or a prototyping platform for makers and hackers.