The time period “robotic” is, by itself, extraordinarily broad, and may embody every part from a single motor linked to a microcontroller to a full-fledged humanoid just like the 1X Neo. Milos Rasic’s PlatypusBot was initially one thing like the previous: a easy rover pushed by two motors and managed by an Arduino. However now Rasic has dramatically expanded the capabilities of PlatypusBot with the addition of a Raspberry Pi and ROS 2.
ROS 2 is a particularly refined and versatile platform on which individuals can construct all types of robots. It supplies the infrastructure for software program packages that provide many superior options, comparable to SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Navigation) and real-time simulation modeling for duties like inverse kinematic management.
On this case, Rasic arrange ROS 2 on a Raspberry Pi 4 Mannequin B. It controls PlatypusBot’s drive motors with ROS 2 messages despatched over serial to an Arduino UNO R4 WiFi board linked to an L298N twin H-bridge driver. Rasic even carried out PID (proportional-integral-derivative) management algorithms, which permit for clean and exact positioning.
As this time, PlatypusBot solely has just a few fundamental capabilities, like transferring a set distance or velocity and turning to a particular angle. However as a result of it has all the energy of ROS 2 out there, the choices for future growth are nearly limitless. Now Rasic has a robotic testbed to make use of for additional experimentation and growth.
Should you like PlatypusBot, there are out there directions and information for constructing your personal.
