PROTOBJECT PHYSICAL KIT

Introduction

Protobject has been primarily designed to work on smartphones without the need for additional hardware. However, we have developed a physical kit for Protobject that allows you to use the platform with an Arduino or a simple robot for those who wish to experiment with these components.

ProtoArduino

Protobject features a device called ProtoArduino that allows you to use an Arduino Leonardo as input and/or output by connecting it to the smartphone’s USB port. To use this device, it is necessary to program an Arduino Leonardo with our firmware. Once it is programmed, it can be used without the need to install any application on the smartphone or computer; everything works through the Protobject web interface.

The ProtoArduino device offers blocks to read three analog inputs and three digital inputs from Arduino (on pins A1, A2, A3 and D7, D8, D9). It also allows you to control up to two servos (D5 and D6), and three PWM digital pins (D3, D11, and D13). This provides the opportunity to virtually extend Protobject with dozens of sensors and actuators compatible with Arduino.

The following video demonstrates an example of how to control a servo using a potentiometer and presents the set of blocks used to program this example.

ProtoRobot

Another device within Protobject is called ProtoRobot. This device allows you to control a 3D-printed robot, and, like everything in Protobject, it operates through a smartphone that is installed directly on the robot. ProtoRobot utilizes an Arduino Leonardo to control two servos that enable its movement.

To make ProtoRobot function, it is connected to the smartphone through its USB port. Similar to ProtoArduino, once it’s programmed with our firmware, there’s no need to install any applications on the smartphone or computer. Everything operates through the same Protobject web interface.

Below, there’s a video and the code for an example of using ProtoRobot, which can be controlled by tilting the smartphone (for this purpose, the device that detects smartphone tilts is used).

Components

The firmware required for the operation of ProtoArduino is the same as that used for ProtoRobot. In other words, once an Arduino Leonardo is programmed with this firmware, the device can be used as both a controller for Arduino inputs and outputs and to control ProtoRobot.

The physical kit of Protobject is composed of the following components.

General Components:

• 1 Arduino Leonardo
• 1 USB-C to USB Nano cable (or another for connecting the smartphone to Arduino)
• Firmware for Arduino Leonardo

Specific Components for ProtoArduino:

1 Arduino support (optional, for added convenience during development)
Specific Components for ProtoRobot:

• Robot base
• 2 front wheels
• 2 rear wheels
• 2 nuts for the wheels
• 1 smartphone holder
• 2 smartphone clamps
• 2 nuts for the smartphone
• 2 continuous servos FS90R
• 1 female-female cable
• 3 male-male cables
• 4 small elastics
• 2 medium-sized elastics (optional, for
• the robot to function on uneven surfaces)