Inside Powerman Jr. or Colebot a robotic toy for children
I saw this robot on offer at Aldi and thought it could be a nice platform for my own projects. So I ordered it for my lab and took it apart. And, if purchased cheaply, it can certainly be used for your own projects.
Overview
Please dont buy this above 30€, it should be priced at 20€!
Parts
Here is everything in one picture that might be of interest to you.
Sensors
- 2x IR-Receiver (3-pin) on cable with a connector (front and backside for the IR-Remote)
- 1x copper tape on the head for capacitive sensor
Actuators
In each foot there is a small hobby motor with gearbox, which moves the foot forward via two rubber rollers on the floor.
Electronics
Brain of the operation is Mr. Blob, too bad. Otherwise as marked on the picture.
- 2x TMI8118S - Motor Driver
- 1x W25Q32JV - 32 MBit flash memory
And a few more transistors or mosfets for the LEDs. One thing I would like to mention, even if Mr. Blob is a disappointment. The motherboard is full of test points that can be used, for example, to easily hijack the motor drivers.
Power source
3x AA
Space for projects
I have measured the board and what additional space would be available for own projects. Units are in millimeters.
Here is a step file for the max. footprint and the board for download
The battery compartment could be converted with a Dremel into a compartment for a LiPo battery or even as an inspection hatch.