3pi+ 32U4 Robot - Standard Edition (30:1 MP Motors), Assembled

The Pololu 3pi+ 32U4 robot is a complete, high-performance mobile platform based on the Arduino-compatible ATmega32U4 MCU.

289.95

Not currently available

Our Code: SKU-007051

Supplier Link: [Pololu MPN:3737]

Description

Overview

The 3pi+ 32U4 is a versatile, high-performance, user-programmable robot that measures just 9.7 cm (3.8″) in diameter. At its heart is an ATmega32U4 AVR microcontroller from Microchip (formerly Atmel), and like our A-Star 32U4 programmable controllers, the 3pi+ 32U4 features a USB interface and ships preloaded with an Arduino-compatible bootloader, so all you need to program it is a USB A to Micro-B cable (not included). A software add-on is available that makes it easy to program the robot from the Arduino environment, and we have Arduino libraries and example sketches to help get you started. For advanced users who want to customise or enhance their robots with additional peripherals, the robot’s power rails, power system controls, and microcontroller’s I/O lines can be accessed via several 0.1″-pitch expansion ports.

3pi+ 32U4 Robot, front view.

3pi+ 32U4 Robot, side view.

3pi+ 32U4 Robot, rear view. (1)

The 3pi+ (or 3𝜋+) features two H-bridge motor drivers and a variety of integrated sensors, including a pair of quadrature encoders for closed-loop motor control, a complete inertial measurement unit (3-axis accelerometer, gyro, and magnetometer), five downwards-facing reflectance sensors for line-following or edge-detection, and left and right bump sensors along the front face of the robot. Three on-board pushbuttons offer a convenient interface for user input, and an LCD, buzzer, and indicator LEDs allow the robot to provide feedback.

The robot also features a unique power system that runs the motors at a constant 8 V independent of the battery charge level, so the speed of the motors does not vary with the battery voltage.

The 3pi+ 32U4 robot is available as a kit or fully assembled with three different motor options:

3pi+ 32U4 Version	Products	Micro Metal Gearmotor	Top Speed	Comments
Standard Edition	assembled or kit	30:1 MP 6V	1.5 m/s	good combination of speed and controllability
Turtle Edition	assembled or kit	75:1 LP 6V	0.4 m/s	longest battery life, easiest to control, good for swarm robots or introductory robotics courses
Hyper Edition	assembled or kit	15:1 HPCB 6V	~4 m/s	very fast and difficult to control, easy to damage; only recommended for advanced users

For those who would prefer to use different motors than these versions above, the 3pi+ chassis and 3pi+ 32U4 control board are available separately and can be combined with a pair of motors to make a custom kit.

What else you will need

four AAA batteries: the 3pi+ robot works with both alkaline and NiMH batteries, though we recommend rechargeable NiMH cells
a USB A to Micro-B cable to connect the robot to your computer for programming and debugging

Assembling the kit version

Details for item #3737

This product is the assembled Standard Edition of the 3pi+ 32U4 Robot.

3pi+ 32U4 Robot.

3pi+ 32U4 Robot, rear view.

Comparison with the original 3pi

Original Pololu 3pi robot.

The 3pi+ 32U4 offers many major improvements over the original 3pi, including:

ATmega32U4 microcontroller with Arduino-compatible bootloader can be programmed directly through a USB connection
Quadrature encoders on both motors for closed-loop position and speed control
Full 9-axis IMU (three-axis gyro, accelerometer, and compass)
Bottom-loading battery holders keep batteries accessible even if additional levels are added
Full wrap-around bumper to protect electronics from collisions
Two bump sensors on the front

The 3pi+ 32U4 uses a different microcontroller with different pin mappings compared to the older 3pi, and some of the software library interfaces are different, so programs written for the original 3pi will not work on the 3pi+ 32U4 without modification.