Hello Robo-heads!
Parallax manufactures many accessories compatible with our small robot chassis (i.e., the rectangular aluminum folded robot body we use everywhere). The processor on top could be about anything we offer (Propeller 1, BASIC Stamp 2, micro:bit, or Arduino) as most accessories work with all of our supported microcontrollers. Educators can “level up” their students with some fascinating projects and new classroom competitions.
Below, I’ve explained why you might prefer each accessory. I’ve covered the educational value, and coding challenges, and directly linked all of the resources so you can quickly see what support information is available for the classroom or hobbyist. Check YouTube for customer examples, too.
Through May 15th, all of these accessories are 10% off, too! If you’d like a quote for any of them in quantity, please e-mail Kristina and Chantal at sales@parallax.com.
Ken Gracey
Parallax Inc.
P.S. I’ve only shown my favorites. You can also interface with many sensors and other small robot accessories not shown here.
Quite simply, the Gripper 3.0 is an amazing contraption and worth every dollar it costs. Cheap parts off Amazon often use two servos – one for clamping and one for lifting. Not only is this kind of design complicated to program, but it also requires excess current to actually grab the object as the servo power tries to maintain hold. The Gripper 3.0 solves both of these problems using one servo: once the object is grabbed, remaining servo motion lifts the object. The programmer only needs to know the two extents of servo pulses to lower/open and close/raise the Gripper 3.0. And, most importantly, a gripper like this is robotics. Add a Pixy2, Ping Laser, or similar sensors to detect the object.
The Gripper 3.0 is compatible with all Parallax robots.
The QTI Line Follower is an electronic sensing project with interesting coding on all microcontrollers. With four sensors, the programmer has 16 combinations for following a black electrical tape “line.” Between the logic and speed values used in the examples, there’s plenty of room for optimizing this kit for classroom competitions. Educators should include gaps in the line, intersections where lines cross, and combine other sensors to detect objects or other robots on the line. Could also be combined with Gripper 3.0!
The QTI Line Follower is compatible with all Parallax robots, too.
Next to being able to pick up an object with the Gripper 3.0, the Pixy2 Camera and Mounting Kit advances the challenge and application to real-world situations. The Pixy2 Camera is “trained” over USB port using the PixyMon Mac/Windows software. This software lets the camera send serial data to identify the number, size, and color of objects. Parallax support is complete for the ActivityBot 360°. Shield-Bot with Arduino users can download a fully-functional library from the Pixy2 Camera Wiki. Our cyber:bot users are not excluded, but will find the easiest way to connect to the Pixy2 is to use the analog output capability (which has limited use, but we’ve seen it demonstrated at our Educator’s Workshops to track objects). There are no code examples for the Boe-Bot, yet (want to be the first to make one?)
This product adds another very lifelike robotic feature to any Parallax robot. Navigating hallways or mazes with a single Ping))) Ultrasonic Distance Sensor is a manageable project for most students with this hardware. This project exemplifies the concept of subsystem testing and making iterative improvements in code. The servo positions the Ping))) Sensor at several positions between 0 and 180 degrees. At each servo position, take a measurement and store them in variables. Compare the values to navigate to the “most open” area in the room or to center the robot’s path of travel between two walls.
This accessory is compatible with all Parallax robots.
This kit is a tracked add-on for any Parallax robot. The tank treads let the robot navigate smoothly over rock, across transitions, and sloped/stepped surfaces like books. Like any tracked differential-drive robot, it turns most easily on harder surfaces due to lower “break free” friction. You’ll be able to use your regular robot code without modifications.
Students really like this application because it provides semi-autonomous remote control with a Sony-compatible handheld remote. This is simply a universal infrared remote control that can be programmed with hundreds of codes from different manufacturers, but we settled on the Sony protocol. The examples are very well documented for every Parallax robot.
