Qfix robot kit
Encyclopedia
Robotics
Robotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots...
. They are used in school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
s, high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s and mechatronics
Mechatronics
Mechatronics is the combination of mechanical engineering, electronic engineering, computer engineering, software engineering, control engineering, and systems design engineering in order to design, and manufacture useful products. Mechatronics is a multidisciplinary field of engineering, that is...
training in companies. However, the robot kits are also used by hobby robot builders.
Like Lego mindstorms
Lego Mindstorms
The LEGO Mindstorm series of kits contain software and hardware to create small, customizable and programmable robots. They include a programmable 'Brick' computer that controls the system, a set of modular sensors and motors, and LEGO parts from the Technics line to create the mechanical...
, it is a robot kit
Robot kit
A robot kit is a special construction kit for building robots, especially autonomous mobile robots.Toy robot kits are also supplied by several companies...
consisting of mechanical parts, a controller
Controller (computing)
In computing and especially in computer hardware, controller is a chip, an expansion card, or a stand-alone device that interfaces with a peripheral device...
,
different sensors and actuators, and a software environment to program
Computer program
A computer program is a sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task with a computer. A computer requires programs to function, typically executing the program's instructions in a central processor. The program has an executable form that the computer can use directly to execute...
the constructed robot.
Unlike Lego, in qfix the mechanical parts are made of aluminium. Mechanical elements include bars and plates, mounts for motors and sensors, axes and wheels.
For electronics components, Atmel
Atmel
Atmel Corporation is a manufacturer of semiconductors, founded in 1984. Its focus is on system-level solutions built around flash microcontrollers...
controllers are used. The components are modular and can be connected via I²C
I²C
I²C is a multi-master serial single-ended computer bus invented by Philips that is used to attach low-speed peripherals to a motherboard, embedded system, cellphone, or other electronic device. Since the mid 1990s, several competitors I²C ("i-squared cee" or "i-two cee"; Inter-Integrated Circuit;...
bus.
The qfix kits can be programmed from the PC, either in C++ by using the WinAVR environment or with a graphical programming environment called "GRAPE
GRAPE
GRAPE , or GRAphics Programming Environment is a software development environment for mathematical visualization, especially differential geometry and continuum mechanics....
". Programs can be downloaded to the qfix controller board via parallel or USB link.
The qfix kits are often found in the RoboCup Junior
RoboCup Junior
RoboCup Junior is a division of RoboCup, a not-for-profit robotics organisation. It focuses on education and aims to introduce the larger goals of the RoboCup project to primary and secondary school aged children...
competition where soccer robot
Soccer robot
A football robot is a specialized autonomous robot and mobile robot that is used to play variants of soccer.The main organised competitions are RoboCup or FIRA tournaments played each year.The RoboCup contest currently has a number of soccer leagues:...
s are built of the kit's components.