Description
The Pololu Zumo 32U4 robot is a versatile tracked robot based on the Arduino-compatible ATmega32U4 MCU, and this kit contains most of the parts you need to build one—all you need to add are a pair of micro metal gearmotors and four AA batteries. It includes integrated dual motor drivers, an LCD, quadrature encoders, line sensors, side and front proximity sensors, and a full IMU. The assembled robot is less than 10 cm × 10 cm—small enough to qualify for Mini Sumo. This product is a kit; assembly (including soldering) is required.
Overview
The Zumo 32U4 is a highly integrated, user-programmable and customizable tracked robot. It measures less than 10 cm on each side and weighs approximately 275 g with batteries (170 g without), so it is both small enough and light enough to qualify for Mini-Sumo competitions, but its versatility makes it capable of much more than just robot sumo battles.
At the heart of the Zumo 32U4 is an Atmel ATmega32U4 AVR microcontroller, and like our A-Star 32U4 programmable controllers, the Zumo 32U4 features a USB interface and ships preloaded with an Arduino-compatible bootloader. A software add-on is available that makes it easy to program the robot from the Arduino environment, and we have Arduino libraries and example sketches to help get you started. A USB A to Micro-B cable (not included) is required for programming. For advanced users who want to customize or enhance their robots with additional peripherals, the robot’s power rails and microcontroller’s I/O lines can be accessed via 0.1″-spaced through-holes along the sides and front of the main board.
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The Zumo 32U4 features two H-bridge motor drivers and a variety of integrated sensors, including a pair of quadrature encoders for closed-loop motor control, a complete inertial measurement unit (3-axis accelerometer, gyro, and magnetometer), five downward-facing reflectance sensors for line-following or edge-detection, and front- and side-facing proximity sensors for obstacle detection and ranging. Three on-board pushbuttons offer a convenient interface for user input, and an LCD, buzzer, and indicator LEDs allow the robot to provide feedback.
The Zumo 32U4 robot is available fully assembled with three different motor options (see the Motors section below for more information on how these different gear ratios perform):
- Assembled with 50:1 HP motors — highest speed and lowest torque of the three options
- Assembled with 75:1 HP motors — average speed and torque
- Assembled with 100:1 HP motors — highest torque and lowest speed
The Zumo 32U4 robot is also available as a kit (without motors) for those who would prefer to assemble it themselves or who want to use different motors than those in the three assembled versions.
Kit contents
With the exception of motors, batteries, and a USB A to Micro-B cable, this kit contains everything necessary to build and operate a Zumo 32U4 robot:
- Zumo Chassis Kit
- Zumo 32U4 Main Board (this includes two magnetic encoder discs that work with encoder sensors integrated into the main board and a through-hole buzzer)
- Zumo 32U4 Front Sensor Array
- stainless steel Zumo 32U4 Blade and plastic IR LED holder
- 8×2 character LCD
See the Zumo 32U4 robot user’s guide for detailed assembly instructions.
Motors (not included with item #3124)
The Zumo chassis uses two micro metal gearmotors, one for each tread. The ideal motors for your robot depend on your desired torque, speed, and current draw, so motors are not included with the kit version of the chassis (motors are included with the assembled versions of the Zumo 32U4 robot). We generally recommend using high-power (HP or HPCB, which have long-life carbon brushes) versions of our micro metal gearmotors since the tracks require a decent amount of torque to move effectively; higher gear ratios of the non-HP motors might work if you want lower current draw, but they will be slower and offer less control. Specifically, we primarily recommend the 50:1, 75:1, or 100:1 HP (or HPCB) motors for use with this chassis, and these are the versions we include in our assembled Zumo 32U4 robot. Additionally, be sure to get a version with extended motor shafts if you want to be able to use the Zumo 32U4’s encoders.
You can use the following table to compare these three gear ratios in more detail. The first four columns are specifications of the motors themselves, while the last column is the measured top speed of a Zumo chassis loaded to a weight of 500 g and driven with these motors. Note that the specifications are for 6V operation, which is approximately the voltage you would get with four alkaline batteries; four NiMH AA cells will typically provide less than 5V.
| Micro Metal Gearmotor |
Free-Run Speed @ 6V |
Stall Torque @ 6V |
Stall Current @ 6V |
Top Zumo Speed @ 6V and 500g |
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| 50:1 HP or 50:1 HPCB | 625 RPM | 15 oz·in | 1600 mA | 40 in/s | (100 cm/s) |
| 75:1 HP or 75:1 HPCB | 400 RPM | 22 oz·in | 1600 mA | 25 in/s | (65 cm/s) |
| 100:1 HP or 100:1 HPCB | 320 RPM | 30 oz·in | 1600 mA | 20 in/s | (50 cm/s) |
Batteries (not included)
The Zumo 32U4 robot runs off of four AA batteries. It works with both alkaline and NiMH batteries, though we recommend using rechargeable AA NiMH cells.
Resources
- Pololu Zumo 32U4 Robot User’s Guide(Printable PDF)
- Pinout diagram of the Zumo 32U4 main board
- Schematic diagram of the Zumo 32U4
- Zumo 32U4 Arduino library : The Zumo32U4 library for the Arduino IDE helps interface with the on-board hardware on the Zumo 32U4 robot.
- Zumo32U4 library documentation
- A-Star repository on GitHub : This repository contains Arduino add-on files, Windows drivers, and bootloaders for the A-Star 328PB, A-Star 32U4, and the rest of our 32U4 family of boards.
- ATmega32U4 documentation : Microchip’s product page for the ATmega32U4 AVR microcontroller, with links to its datasheet, application notes, and other resources.
- Pololu Zumo 32U4 Robot Example Projects Video
