Back in 2011, I upgraded a standard Parallax BOE-Bot with my RoboProp propeller based robot controller.. I wrote a two part article for Servo magazine about the upgrade, and it was published in September 2011 (I got the cover!) and Octoboer 2011.
Fast forward to 2014, and once I designed my RoboPi controller for the incredibly popular Raspberry Pi, I could not resist trying to control a Boe-Bot chassis with a combination of RoboPi and a Raspberry Pi.
Today, on the Parallax forums, Thomas asked about controlling a Parallax Boe-Bot with a Raspberry Pi.
I decided it was time to post about PiBoe, so I started a build blog for it at http://www.mikronauts.com/robot-zoo/piboe/
Right now, PiBoe consists of: (top down)
- RoboPi
- Raspberry Pi Model A
- EZasPi (B)
- EZasPie Proto 300
I am thinking about eliminating the EZasPi (B) by drilling two mounting holes in the Proto 300, and mounting the Pi on it - thus reducing the height of the bot.
(I am currently working on two other Pi based bots, Elf (with gear motors) and HexPi (with 18 servos). Elf will be getting an update soon, HexPi is waiting for the current sensors I ordered to arrive.)
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://community.robotshop.com/robots/show/piboe-raspberry-pi-robopi-boe-bot
Nice tower!
I like it that we can now have much more computing power on our bots than I had 10 years ago. I’m trying to get a robotics club going for kids in our town and I’m thinking of making it so each member has a small pi-based bot of their own, and I think I can get the funding for it. I wonder if I can get something like a BoeBot chassis. Yours looks pretty neat.
How well does the PiBoe run?
Run two servos by a
Run two servos by a raspberry pi and a propeller board?
Thanks
runs pretty good 
I’ll post an update when I have a video of it running.
for now, yes
You are right, RoboPi + Raspberry Pi would be a total overkill if all PiBoe was going to do is run two servos.
I wanted a small vision capable bot with WiFi that I could easily take with me anywhere, and I really like the Boe-Bot chassis for its solid construction and small size.
I will be adding a Pi Camera for computer vision (can’t beat $25 for a 5Mpix camera for it) to the Raspberry Pi, and the other simpler sensors, servo’s etc will be left for RoboPi.
First I want to experiment with how to best mount the Pi, as I think PiBoe may be a bit too tall at this time.
PiBoe gets shortened…
I’ve replaced two PCB decks and sets of spacers with a Sintra deck, saving more than an inch of height!
http://www.mikronauts.com/robot-zoo/piboe/
