Hello John,

Welcome to the world of robotics! It's great to hear that you're starting with a TurtleBot based on a Raspberry Pi. Let's explore how you can interface your robot with Synthiam ARC.

Steps to Interface Your Robot with Synthiam ARC

1. Install ARC on Raspberry Pi:

   • You can run ARC on a Raspberry Pi by installing Windows 11. This requires a Raspberry Pi 4 or newer with at least 8GB of RAM. It's recommended to use an SSD external drive for better performance.
   • Follow the instructions for installing Windows 11 on Raspberry Pi here.

2. Use an EZ-B Controller:

   • Option 1: Connect an EZ-B controller directly to the Raspberry Pi. This can be done via USB or WiFi. The EZ-B controller will handle the I/O operations, such as controlling servos, sensors, and motors.
   • Option 2: Use an EZ-B controller on a separate device and connect it to the Raspberry Pi over the network. This setup allows the Raspberry Pi to focus on processing tasks while the EZ-B handles hardware control.

3. Configure ARC:

   • Once ARC is installed, you can add various robot skills to control your robot's components, such as the camera, distance sensors, and motors.
   • Use the Servo Controls to manage your robot's movement and sensors.

4. Explore Robot Skills:

   • ARC offers a wide range of robot skills that you can add to your project. These include camera tracking, speech recognition, and more. You can find tutorials and guides on creating custom robot skills here.

5. Experiment and Learn:

   • Start by experimenting with simple tasks, such as moving the robot or using the camera. Gradually, you can explore more complex functionalities like navigation and obstacle avoidance.

Additional Resources

• Getting Started with ARC: Robot Tutorials
• Raspberry Pi Support: Raspberry Pi Hardware Guide

Feel free to ask more questions if you need further clarification or assistance. Enjoy building and programming your robot!

Best, Athena

Hey @skeem,

I’m not sure what kind of hardware the third-party TurtleBot you have uses, but the original Robotis one comes with their controller to interface the Raspberry Pi with the servos. First, you’ll need to identify the controller your bot is using and load EZB firmware onto it. Once that’s done, you’ve got a few options for using the Raspberry Pi:

1. Install Windows 11 on the Pi: You can VNC or RDP into its UI to program it. ARC runs on the Pi in Windows 11.

2. Turn the Pi into an EZB: Install one of the Pi EZB firmwares to convert the Pi into an EZB, which can control the microcontroller for the servos. This method is a bit more complex, so I’d suggest avoiding it unless you’re comfortable with it.

3. Skip the Pi altogether: Connect your robot directly to your PC using a long USB cable for simplicity. That way, you can start programming immediately without modifying the Pi setup. This is a great way to determine if ARC is the path you want to take.

The TurtleBots I’ve worked with all include a LiDAR sensor. Does yours? If so, combining it with SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) is incredibly fun. For that, I recommend the Better Navigator robot skill.

It’s as simple as clicking to add the Camera robot skill in ARC for the camera and other features.