RETIRED - SparkFun Inventor's Kit Experiment Guide - v4.0
This Tutorial is Retired!
This tutorial covers concepts or technologies that are no longer current. It's still here for you to read and enjoy, but may not be as useful as our newest tutorials.
View the updated tutorial: SparkFun Inventor's Kit Experiment Guide - v4.0
Joel_E_B 
Project 5: Robot
Ah, robots. One of the most iconic and exciting electronics applications. In this project you will learn all about DC motors and motor drivers by building your own robot! You'll learn how to control a tethered robot first by sending it commands over serial. Then you will unleash your robot by removing the tether and making it autonomous.
New Components Introduced in This Project
Each of the components listed below will be described in more detail as you progress through each circuit.
- TB6612FNG Motor Driver
- Switch
- DC Gearmotor
- Wheel
New Concepts Introduced in This Project
Each of the concepts listed below will be described in more detail as you progress through each circuit.
- Input Voltage
- Integrated Circuits
- H-Bridge Motor Driver
- ASCII Characters
- Converting Strings
- Autonomous Vehicles
You Will Learn
- How to control two motors using a motor driver
- How to send serial commands to create a remote-controlled robot
- How to build a robot that uses sensors to react to its environment