Problem getting started with Makeblock robot kit bluetooth version

#1

Hi,

I just bought the Makeblock Robot Starter Kit, Bluetooth version. I followed the instructions to build the tank and I’m able to connect to it with my Android phone using the makeblock app. When I load the “Distance Measure” app and press the play button, I get repeated beeping from the piezo on the board, and the distance measure never changes from its default 100 value when I turn it on. I verified that I had connected on the correct port on the board and in the android app UI. I tried a different port on the board and on the UI, with no change.

I saw in a different post how to turn off the beeping (white slider switch next to the reset button), but I don’t know if that beeping is normal or not. Is that beeping an indication of a problem?

I also tried moving the robot using the “Robot Tank” example program. Once again, I am able to connect to the robot and the play button works, but nothing happens other than the beeping if I turn on the distance sensor.

I have the version of the kit with bluetooth and the “Orion” board. I haven’t tried to update firmware.

Am I doing something wrong? Is there a newer version of the firmware that actually works? I see the instructions on updating firmware, but it was very unclear and I don’t know what will work. I’d prefer not to take blind shots at fixing this.

Thanks,

Dave

#2

I have the android app working with my Bluetooth starter robot kit now.

This information is in other places, but here’s a simplified guide for people using the “Orion” Makeblock boards:

Go to https://github.com/Makeblock-official/Makeblock-Firmware and click on the “download zip” button on the right-hand side.

Unzip the zip file you downloaded. You specifically want the “Makeblock-Firmware-master/firmware” subdirectory in the zip file to be extracted.

Go to http://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software and download the Arduino IDE. Install it. It works on several different operating systems and they all should work for fixing your robot.

Connect your PC to the robot via USB. Have the power switch off first, the arduino board on the robot will be powered via USB while you upload the firmware.

Doubleclick the firmware.ino file in the firmware subfolder you extracted from the github zip file you downloaded. Up will come the Arduino IDE.

In the tools menu of the Arduino IDE, make sure that the “Tools->Board” menu has “Arduino Uno” selected. By connecting the Arduino board on your robot to your PC, it should create a COM port which you can see in the “Tools->Serial Port” menu below the “Tools->Board” menu.

The “firmware” for your robot is the Arduino sketch (firmware.ino) that you loaded. Press the upload button (A right-hand arrow) to compile and upload the sketch to your robot.

The IDE will compile the program and you’ll see a message saying the sketch was uploaded when it’s complete.

This sketch knows how to listen on the bluetooth port for your android app and it works with at least the distance measurement and robot examples in the app.

With this, I am able to connect/disconnect from the robot with no flakiness, the distance sensor gives me valid measurements, and when I click the “OFF” button on the robot app, it goes to “ON” and the robot starts moving, trying to avoid objects by backing up and turning right each time the distance sensor thinks it’s too close to a wall. Works best on hardwood and with solid walls rather than chairs, toys, and other detritus assoicated with the kind of the environments where such a robot is most appreciated.

#3

Hello David

I think you have solved your problem perfectly, and other users can reference your advise to solve the similar problem.

Thanks

#4

Hi,

I am in a similar situation but it wasn’t resolved through this method:

  • When I first built the robot tank (bluetooth) and loaded the Android app it was telling me it couldn’t run without connecting M1 and M2.

  • I downloaded the Scratch program instead of the Ardruino IDE and uploaded the firmware.

  • That allows me to drive the robot!

  • However, now I am left with trouble with the sensor that David is describing.

  • Not entirely the same issue; if I activate the sensor via the robot tank pre-set inside the application the tank drives in continuous circles and won’t respond to controls until I reboot the system.

  • To further my testing I attempted to test the sensor with a simple program in scratch that called on the robots sensor to (control, forever) say “distance from sensor”.

  • I was unable to get results from the program, and I had followed a pattern seen on a youtube tutorial.

Is my sensor defective?

#5

I tried this method but got an error while uploading that said “Programmer is not Responding” . ive follwed everything the forum on arduino said to do but none of it worked, this robot is expensive and i need some way to make it work

#6

Apologies for replying to an older thread, but yours is the most informative and user friendly post I’ve found regarding issues with the Bluetooth app, and I was hoping you had some insight into the issue I’m having. I just finished building my starter kit tank with my son, and I downloaded the control app onto my tablet. The ultrasonic sensor mode works fine, as the robot will start spinning and testing it’s environment for barriers. Unfortunately the directional controls for simply steering the robot around are completely unresponsive. I can adjust the speed setting and it does affect the speed during the ultrasonic room mapping mode, but none of the other directional controls respond at all. i tried reinstalling the firmware per your instructions, and it still has the same issue.

#7

I have just created instruction video “How to connect and control Makeblock robot”. All most steps in my video base on David_Gladfelter tips. Thank you Daivid_Gladfelter, your instruction is more detail than any topic I found on the internet.

Video: How to connect and control Makeblock robot

#8