Arduino

In a previous post, I mentioned that I had acquired a FEZ Domino. I then started the project of building a robotic platform from it and improving it over time. So here is the beginning of The Machine.

Components

I bought a few components from RobotShop to start the construction of The Machine:

• 4WD Arduino Development Platform from DFRobot. It includes 4 motors (4WD).
• The 2A Motor Controller Shield for Arduino from DFRobot. With 2 outputs for the motors.
• Some hardware pieces.
• Some wires.

I also used a Logitech Dual Action USB game controller to control the robot. The Fez Domino supports joysticks, keyboards, and mice, so no driver needed.

After a few weeks of waiting, I received my Fez Domino ordered via RobotShop!

This microcontroller running on the .Net Micro Framework (NETMF) is designed in the same format as the Arduino, allowing the use of its “shields”.

While waiting to play with it and give you my feedback, you can check out the following sites:

• TinyCLR.com: Community around Fez and GHI Electronics products (managed by the manufacturer GHI Electronics)
• Fezzer.com: Drivers and mini-applications developed by the community
• microframeworkprojects.com: Contains projects/documentation created by the community.