Motors
Motors provide a way for our devices to interact with us and the environment. They can provide haptic feedback for notification, add movement to your robot, help 3D print a model, or CNC mill a material. Some basic motors types include DC brush, servos, brushless, stepper, linear motors. Not sure what motor to select? Check out Motors and Selecting the Right One and the hobby servo tutorial for more information to start.
Red Hat Co.Lab Robotic hand kit curriculum guide
November 19, 2021
Hookup guide for Red Hat Robotic Hand kit
Tinker Kit Circuit Guide
September 16, 2021
This guide takes you through the basics of building 11 different circuits with the SparkFun Tinker Kit and how to program them using the Arduino IDE.
Qwiic Haptic Driver DA7280 Hookup Guide
April 29, 2021
The Qwiic Haptic Driver includes an itty-bitty, Linear Resonant Actuator (LRA) vibration motor and Dialog Semiconductor's DA7280 motor driver IC for applications that require haptic feedback.
The ClockClock Project
October 8, 2020
Tell the time with this fantastic Alchitry project using clocks to make a clock!
SparkFun ProDriver Hookup Guide
September 3, 2020
The SparkFun ProDriver utilizes Toshiba's TC78H670FTG stepper motor driver and with the latch pin connections, this new board is easier to get started with than the "Easy" Drivers. To get started, follow this hookup guide and you will be spinning stepper motors, in no time.
SparkFun Auto pHAT Hookup Guide
April 16, 2020
The pHAT to get your projects moving. This guide will help you get started using the Auto pHAT.
Assembly Guide for SparkFun JetBot AI Kit V2.0
March 27, 2020
Assembly Guide for the SparkFun JetBot AI Kit v2.0. This tutorial includes photos & comments to assemble the two-layer chassis & additional components unique to the JetBot kit.
Basic Servo Control for Beginners
February 25, 2020
An introductory tutorial demonstrating several ways to use and interact with servo motors!
micro:bot Kit Experiment Guide
February 20, 2020
Get started with the moto:bit, a carrier board for the micro:bit that allows you to control motors, and create your own robot using this experiment guide for the micro:bot kit.
Getting Started with the Autonomous Kit for the Sphero RVR
December 13, 2019
Want to get started in robotics? Look no further than the SparkFun autonomous kit for the Sphero RVR! Whether you purchased the Basic or Advanced kit, this tutorial will get you rolling...
Advanced Autonomous Kit for Sphero RVR Assembly Guide
December 12, 2019
Get your Advanced Autonomous Kit for the Sphero RVR built up with this hookup guide!
Basic Autonomous Kit for Sphero RVR Assembly Guide
December 12, 2019
Get your Basic Autonomous Kit for Sphero RVR all hooked up with this guide!
Hookup Guide for the Qwiic Motor Driver
September 19, 2019
Drive things "qwiic"-ly with the SparkFun Qwiic Motor Driver!
SparkFun Inventor's Kit Experiment Guide - v4.1
August 8, 2019
The SparkFun Inventor's Kit (SIK) Experiment Guide contains all of the information needed to build all five projects, encompassing 16 circuits, in the latest version of the kit, v4.1.2 and v4.1.
Pi Servo pHAT (v2) Hookup Guide
July 11, 2019
This hookup guide will get you started with connecting and using the Pi Servo pHAT on a Raspberry Pi.
Wireless Gesture Controlled Robot
April 25, 2019
Control the RedBot wirelessly based on the movement of your hand using an accelerometer, Arduino, and XBees!
LED Gumball Machine
April 24, 2019
Hacking gumball machines to make the world a happier, blinkier place.
SparkFun ESP32 DMX to LED Shield
March 28, 2019
Learn how to utilize your DMX to LED Shield in a variety of different ways.
Wireless RC Robot with Arduino and XBees
March 12, 2019
In this tutorial, we will expand on the SIK for RedBot to control the robot wirelessly with XBee radios! We'll explore a different microcontroller and wirelessly control the RedBot at a distance.
Wireless Remote Control with micro:bit
January 21, 2019
In this tutorial, we will utilize the MakeCode radio blocks to have the one micro:bit transmit a signal to a receiving micro:bit on the same channel. Eventually, we will control a micro:bot wirelessly using parts from the arcade:kit!
LilyPad Vibe Board Hookup Guide
January 16, 2019
The LilyPad Vibe Board is a small vibration motor that can be sewn into projects with conductive thread and controlled by a LilyPad Arduino. The board can be used as a physical indicator on clothing and costumes for haptic feedback.
micro:bit Educator Lab Pack Experiment Guide
May 8, 2018
A quickstart guide for the micro:bit educator lab pack.
WiFi Controlled Robot
May 2, 2018
This tutorial will show you how to make a robot that streams a webcam to a custom website that can be remotely controlled.
Clap On Lamp
November 28, 2017
Modify a simple desk lamp to respond to a double clap (or other sharp noise) using parts from the SparkFun Inventor's Kit v4.0.
Light-Seeking Robot
November 28, 2017
We use parts from the SparkFun Inventor's Kit v4.0 to create a light-seeking robot that mimics the behavior of single-celled organisms.
SparkFun Inventor's Kit Experiment Guide - v4.0
November 15, 2017
The SparkFun Inventor's Kit (SIK) Experiment Guide contains all of the information needed to build all five projects, encompassing 16 circuits, in the latest version of the kit, v4.0a.
SparkFun 5V/1A LiPo Charger/Booster Hookup Guide
September 28, 2017
This tutorial shows you how to hook up and use the SparkFun 5V/1A LiPo Charger/Booster circuit.
Pi Servo Hat Hookup Guide
September 14, 2017
This hookup guide will show you how to connect and use the Pi Servo Hat in a project.
Setting Up the Pi Zero Wireless Pan-Tilt Camera
September 14, 2017
This tutorial will show you how to assemble, program, and access the Raspberry Pi Zero as a headless wireless pan-tilt camera.
Wireless Motor Driver Shield Hookup Guide
August 17, 2017
Get started with the SparkFun Wireless Motor Driver Shield!
SparkFun Inventor's Kit for micro:bit Experiment Guide
July 21, 2017
This guide contains all the information you will need to explore the twelve circuits of the SparkFun Inventors Kit for micro:bit.
Getting Started with MicroPython and the SparkFun Inventor's Kit for micro:bit
July 11, 2017
Learn MicroPython with the micro:bit.
ESP32 Thing Power Control Shield Hookup Guide
June 9, 2017
This tutorial shows you how to get started with the ESP32 Thing Power Control Shield.
Spectacle Example: Super Mario Bros. Diorama
May 4, 2017
A study in building an animated diorama (with sound!) using Spectacle electronics.
Ardumoto Kit Hookup Guide
April 14, 2017
Learn how to assemble and drive DC motors using the v2.0 Ardumoto Shield.
Haptic Motor Driver Hook-Up Guide
January 19, 2017
Good vibes only. Getting started with the Haptic Motor Driver.
Building an Autonomous Vehicle: The Batmobile
December 6, 2016
Documenting a six-month project to race autonomous Power Wheels at the SparkFun Autonomous Vehicle Competition (AVC) in 2016.
Red Box Robot Hookup Guide
November 23, 2016
Turn an iconic SparkFun red box into an obstacle-avoiding robot.
Serial Controlled Motor Driver Hookup Guide
November 17, 2016
Hookup guide for the Serial Controlled Motor Driver
ReconBot with the Tessel 2
October 13, 2016
Build a robot with the Tessel 2 that you can control from a browser on your phone or laptop.
TB6612FNG Hookup Guide
September 29, 2016
Basic hookup guide for the TB6612FNG H-bridge motor driver to get your robot to start moving!
Getting Started with the AutoDriver - v13
September 15, 2016
SparkFun's AutoDriver is a powerful tool for controlling stepper motors. Here's how to use it.
Experiment Guide for the Johnny-Five Inventor's Kit
June 28, 2016
Use the Tessel 2 and the Johnny Five Inventors kit to explore the world of JavaScript enabled hardware through 14 awesome experiments!
Electret Mic Breakout Board Hookup Guide
June 23, 2016
An introduction to working with the Electret Mic Breakout Board.
How to Build a Remote Kill Switch
May 31, 2016
Learn how to build a wireless controller to kill power when things go... sentient.
GPS Differential Vector Pointer
May 31, 2016
Use GPS to have two objects, a base and a target, point towards one another. This can be used to aim a directional antenna (or in the case of this project, a laser) from one object to the other object at a distance that is only limited by your ability to provide the base station with the target's GPS location.
Servo Trigger Programming Guide
May 26, 2016
Looking under the hood of the Servo Trigger -- using the development environment and some finer details of the firmware.
Hobby Servo Tutorial
May 26, 2016
Servos are motors that allow you to accurately control the rotation of the output shaft, opening up all kinds of possibilities for robotics and other projects.
Continuous Rotation Servo Trigger Hookup Guide
May 26, 2016
How to use the SparkFun Continuous Rotation Servo Trigger with continuous rotation servos, without any programming!
Shapeoko Assembly Guide
April 21, 2016
A guide for attaching the Stepoko Add-on kit to a Shapeoko Mechanical kit.
Blynk Board Project Guide
March 25, 2016
A series of Blynk projects you can set up on the Blynk Board without ever re-programming it.
Shapeoko Coaster Project
November 20, 2015
A step-by-step guide to cutting and engraving a coaster with the Shapeoko.
Experiment Guide for RedBot with Shadow Chassis
May 28, 2015
This Experiment Guide offers nine experiments to get you started with the SparkFun RedBot. This guide is designed for those who are familiar with our SparkFun Inventor's Kit and want to take their robotics knowledge to the next level.
Easy Driver Hook-up Guide
May 5, 2015
Get started using the SparkFun Easy Driver for those project that need a little motion.
Servo Trigger Hookup Guide
March 26, 2015
How to use the SparkFun Servo Trigger to control a vast array of Servo Motors, without any programming!
Big Easy Driver Hookup Guide
February 13, 2015
How to get started with the SparkFun Big Easy Driver.
Hacker in Residence: The Harmonic Skew Zoetrope
January 27, 2015
Check out Hacker in Residence, Jesse's awesome Harmonic Skew Zoetrope in this project tutorial.
Actobotics Basic Differential Platform
December 22, 2014
Get started with Actobotics with this simple vehicle. Then expand and customize it for your own evil robot empire.
Motors and Selecting the Right One
December 12, 2013
Learn all about different kinds of motors and how they operate.
Old Tutorials
Looking for the old, archived tutorials? Head on over to the
archived tutorials on the main
SparkFun site.
Please be aware that the tutorials you find there are no longer
actively maintained.