Wowwee MIP Movement Panel

Name: WowWee MIP Movement Panel
Author: Synthiam

UART-based EZ-B/ESP32 skill to control WowWee MIP, enabling ESP32-Cam camera support and flexible battery-powered integration.

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 can be controlled from Synthiam ARC by connecting to the MIP’s internal UART (serial) port. This Movement Panel robot skill sends serial commands to the MIP through an EZ-B (such as an EZ-B v4, ESP32, or ESP32-Cam) that supports a hardware UART.

Beginner overview: You will open the MIP, find its UART pins, and wire three connections (GND, TX, RX) to an EZ-B UART. ARC then communicates with the MIP through that EZ-B connection.

What You Need

WowWee MIP robot
One EZ-B that has a hardware UART (supported examples: EZ-B v4, ESP32, ESP32-Cam)
Hookup wire (3 wires minimum) and basic tools for accessing the MIP mainboard
Optional: extra power source (for example, a 9V battery for an EZ-B v4 + camera, if needed)

Recommendation: The ESP32-Cam is often preferred because it’s very small and includes a built-in camera.

Hardware Wiring (UART)

The MIP exposes a UART on the mainboard. UART uses three connections for basic communication: GND (ground reference), TX (transmit), and RX (receive).

Connect These Three Wires

MIP GND → EZ-B GND
MIP TX → EZ-B UART RX (cross connection)
MIP RX → EZ-B UART TX (cross connection)

Important: TX and RX must be crossed (TX goes to RX, RX goes to TX). If TX is connected to TX and RX to RX, the devices usually will not communicate.

Power Options

In many setups, you can power the EZ-B from the MIP’s onboard batteries. This keeps wiring simple and ensures both devices share a common power system.

If your project requires more power (for example, an EZ-B v4 with a camera or additional accessories), you can power the EZ-B from a separate battery, such as an additional 9V source (as an example).

Note (Ground is required): If the EZ-B is powered from a different battery than the MIP, you must connect GND-to-GND between the MIP and the EZ-B. Ground is the shared reference that allows the serial signals (TX/RX) to be understood correctly.

It does not matter where the grounds originate from (MIP battery ground or EZ-B battery ground) as long as they are connected together.

Using the Skill in ARC (Beginner Steps)

Connect your EZ-B (EZ-B v4 / ESP32 / ESP32-Cam) to ARC as you normally would.
Add the WowWee MIP Movement Panel skill to your ARC project.
In the skill settings, select the hardware UART port you physically wired to the MIP. (Example: choose the UART that uses the EZ-B pins connected to MIP TX/RX.)
Power on the MIP and the EZ-B.
Use the Movement Panel controls to send movement commands to the MIP.

Troubleshooting tip: If nothing responds, re-check (1) TX/RX are crossed, (2) GND is connected, and (3) you selected the correct UART in the skill configuration.

Note 2 (Third-party hardware): Synthiam is not the manufacturer of this third-party device and is not responsible for the operation of the WowWee MIP hardware. For hardware-specific questions (disassembly, pin locations, battery behavior, etc.), consult the WowWee MIP product documentation.

Reminder: This skill requires an EZ-B that supports a hardware UART. Software/bit-banged serial is not recommended for reliable control.

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Hardy Dynamics

PRO

USA

#25 May 2021 — Edited May 2021

Found this: The [MIP] hacking port breaks out the following signals: * GND - A ground connection to the battery on the MiP * RX - A 3.3v signal level UART receive pin * TX - A 3.3v signal level UART transmit pin * 6v (Battery) - Raw battery power.\

Does this mean I still need a TTL Logic Shifter for the ESP32 or no?