2
Components
The QBot 2 is made up of four main components: the Kobuki robot platform, the QBot 2 data acquisition card (DAQ),
the Gumstix DuoVero embedded computer, and the Kinect sensor. This section outlines these components in more
detail.
2.1 The Kobuki Robot Platform
The QBot 2 uses an Kobuki mobile robot platform (Figure 2.1). The QBot 2 follows the
Quanser
r
standard for body
frame axes, where the x-axis is in the forward direction, the y-axis is to the left, and the z-axis is up. The diameter
of the vehicle is
34
cm
, and its height (without attachments) is
10
cm
. The Kobuki is driven by two differential drive
wheels with built-in encoders. The Kobuki comes with a bumper sensor as well as a built-in gyroscope and cliff
sensors. The embedded computer target can access data from these sensors.
Figure 2.1: The Kobuki mobile robot platform
The QBot 2 is powered by a Lithium ion battery pack (Figure 2.2a) provided by Yujin Robot. The battery fits
underneath the QBot 2, and can last continuously for about
3
hours after a full charge. The battery takes less
than
3
hours to charge. While charging, the power light pulses slowly with an orange colour. A battery charger is
provided (Figure 2.2b). To recharge the QBot 2, plug in the battery charger and connect it to the charger input port
on the QBot 2 next to the
ON/OFF
switch (Figure 2.2c).
QBOT 2 - User Manual
DRAFT - April 14, 2015