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.
https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/hacking-the-mip---proto-back/all
One of the MIPS has an EZ-Bv4 on it, I used the onboard 4 x AAA batteries to power it, I believe. I'll try to put up a wiring diagram for you if I can find the time this weekend.
One thing that will have to be added to the MIP skill is that there are two different versions with different baud rates, one version communicates at 9600bps while the other communicates at 115200bps. It would be awesome if we had the ability to select the V1 or V2 baud rate in the skill.
MIP -> EZ-B v4
TX -> RX
RX -> TX
GND -> GND
VCC -> VIN (only make this connection if you are using the 4 x AAA batteries to power the EZ-B as well)
A couple of notes here:
1. If you are using the AAA batteries to power the EZ-B v4 you'll need to turn off the battery monitor (in the EZ-B webserver, 192.168.1.1, and in the ARC software, in the connection skill settings)
2. I believe the skill is used only with UART0 on the EZ-B v4 (the black 4 pin port).
3. I haven't tried using the software serial with the IoTiny, but you couldn't use this skill to control the MIP with it, as the connect button wouldn't work. You would have to send the commands manually through scripting.
Here's an example (in ez-script):
Code:
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.
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
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?
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.
Does this mean I still need a TTL Logic Shifter for the ESP32 or no?
...I had to buy one to see for myself
Plus the ESP32 Cam can't play music or voices like the IoTiny can.