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Base STEM Robot

Base STEM Robot

The club's classic low-cost collision-avoidance robot. It uses a Cytron Maker Pi RP2040 board on a two-wheel SmartCar chassis, needs no soldering, and is the first robot recommended for students; Chapter 19 budgets \(18–\)25 per robot kit. An OLED display adds about $13.

Source book: STEM Robots
Kit page: https://dmccreary.github.io/stem-robots/kits/base-bot/
Printable one-pager: base-bot-one-pager.html

Features

  • Lab: Testing Motor Connections
  • Lab: NeoPixel Blink Test
  • Lab: Up Down Motor Speed Lab
  • Lab: Motor Drive Connection Test
  • Lab: Drive Square Lab
  • Lab: Maker Pi RP2040 Servo Lab

Benefits

  • Free, open lessons: the STEM Robots textbook has the kit page, wiring, and MicroPython code.
  • Ready-made curriculum: 12 additional lab pages walk students through the build step by step.
  • Instant feedback: students see their code's results on lights or a display.
  • Real-world data: students read sensors and turn measurements into decisions.
  • Budget: about $19.

Parts

  • Cytron Maker Pi RP2040 ($10) — Controller board (built-in RP2040)
  • TT DC Gear Motors — Motor / actuator
  • DRV8833 Motor Driver — Motor driver
  • HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor — Sensor
  • L298N / L293D Motor Driver — Motor driver
  • MX1508 Motor Driver — Motor driver
  • Piezo Buzzer / Speaker — Sound output
  • SG90 Micro Servo — Motor / actuator
  • SSD1306 128×64 OLED — Display
  • VL53L0X Time-of-Flight Sensor — Sensor
  • WS2812B NeoPixels — LEDs
  • 830-Point Breadboard ($1.10) — Breadboard
  • Micro-USB Data Cable ($2.50) — Power and programming cable