How to add the Wowwee MIP Movement Panel robot skill
- Load the most recent release of ARC (Get ARC).
- Press the Project tab from the top menu bar in ARC.
- Press Add Robot Skill from the button ribbon bar in ARC.
- Choose the Movement Panels category tab.
- Press the Wowwee MIP Movement Panel icon to add the robot skill to your project.
Don't have a robot yet?
Follow the Getting Started Guide to build a robot and use the Wowwee MIP Movement Panel robot skill.
How to use the Wowwee MIP Movement Panel robot skill
The WowWee MIP robot is hackable with a UART port on the mainboard. Connect the GND, TX, and RX to an EZB’s UART TX and control it from ARC.You can power the EZB with the MIP's onboard batteries, but if more power is needed, an EZ-B v4 + camera, for example, an additional 9 Volt battery, can be used.
Any EZB that supports a hardware UART can use this robot skill, such as the ESP32, ESP32-Cam, or EZB v4. The ESP32-Cam is preferred because it’s the smallest and has a built-in camera.
*Note: Remember that you will need to connect the GND if you power the EZ-B off a separate power source. It doesn't matter where the GNDs come from, as they are shared between the MIP and an EZ-B.
*Note 2: Synthiam is not a manufacturer of this third-party hardware device. Nor is Synthiam responsible for the operation of this third-party device. For operational questions, it's best to consult the product's instruction manual.
I can make some tweaks to the robot skill and it should work with iotiny. Stay tuned
Can the IoTiny be used to control the UART on a WoWee MIP robot [via serial TX only]?
I know theres a Movement Panel for EZ B v4, but it's pretty big to fit on a tiny bot like this and I'd prefer to use IoTiny.
This will also work with any EZB that uses UART. The ESP32 is a good one because there is a camera version. The ESP32-Cam would be better than an IoTiny for this.
Here's the link with firmware and instructions for ESP32-Cam: https://synthiam.com/Support/Hardware/ESP32-Cam
I would not trust the IoTiny for bit bang serial. It emulates serial with software. It "might" work but I have a doubt that it will be very stable. I might make a change to the robot skill to allow bit-bang serial, but there's nothing more we can do if it isn't reliable. I recommend the ESP32-Cam instead for this particular application.
Oh, also the ESP32 is WAY smaller than the IoTiny, so that's another positive
As always - thanks! Gonna try this out!
Let me know. I think it would be real cool. Specially since the esp32-cam is also small.
Ordered the USB one - will work on it this weekend! Trying to make a Beer Butler out of the MIP! Wife approved!
What would the wiring look like exactly (if you have time to answer)? I read the MIP skill article and understand it needs to ground to the MIP, but could it run off the onboard battery?
Yep it could, it would be the same as the wiring I listed above.
Edit* Although I don’t know if the ESP32 pins are 5V compatible. I believe the MIP has 5V TTL on the TX/RX. You might need a TTL logic level shifter.
Thanks to everyone for the assist with this; and sorry for multiple posts - busy at work and only checking back in periodically, missed a bunch! Will read through!