The DFRobotShop Rover is Here, Arduino Goes Mobile

We are proud to announce that the DFRobotShop Rover, an Arduino-compatible robotic tracked platform, is available for immediate purchase right now. The Rover has been available for pre-order for some time on the RobotShop website but it is only today that we got the last shipment for the remaining parts.

What is the DFRobotShop Rover?

The DFRobotShop Rover is a versatile mobile robot tank based on the popular Arduino Duemilanove.  It incorporates all the Duemilanove features (since it uses a surface mount ATMega328),  including shield compatibility, and is supplemented with (1) an on-board DC step-up that allows it to be easily powered from small power sources such as AA batteries,  (2) a dual H-bridge DC-motor controller (L293B), and (3) an APC220 and Bluetooth serial interface connector for telemetry and radio control. As an addition it also features a temperature and light sensors that can be readily connected to analog inputs on the ATMega328 for immediate use. This Arduino-compatible platform rides on the popular Tamiya twin motor gearbox and the Tamiya track and wheel set.  This created a low-cost traction system that has been tested to carry over 2 kg without issues.

What can it do?

The DFRobotShop Rover can be programmed using the Arduino IDE to perform any robotic action you can imagine and is versatile enough to accommodate various electronics and mechanical accessories such as various Arduino shields, a breadboard, a standard servo motor through its servo mounting point, etc. The user is free to choose what task this little robot should accomplish; we are eager to see it in the outside world doing crazy things.

Who is it for?

This robot is intended for geeks  (obviously!), anybody wanting to get started in robotics, schools (elementary, high-school, college...),  people who need to give a cool gift (to that special geek in their lives). In short anyone curious about the world of robotics.