I spent several hours playing with the Maqueen, a wheeled robot by DFRobot that is controlled by a BBC Micro:bit microcontroller.
I loved it.
The Maqueen is easy to assemble, made of high-quality materials, with many integrated sensors and actuators. Here’s the hardware that is integrated into the Maqueen:
- Infrared Grayscale Sensor(High-low level) x 2
- Buzzer x 1
- Infrared Receiver (NEC decoder) x 1
- LED Lights (High-low level control) x 2
- RGB Ambient Light (16 million colors) x 4
- SR04, SR04P Ultrasonic Interface (5V) x 1
- IIC Interface (3.3V) x 1
- Servo Interface (S1 S2)x 2
- Gravity Extension Interfaces (P1, P2) x 2
- N20 All-metal Gear Motor x 2
Impressive, right?
The Maqueen hardware is controlled by a Micro:bit microcontroller, which you can program with the MakeCode graphical programming language or Javascript.
Unboxing and assembly
It is obvious that DFRobot spent a lot of time and effort to create a robotics kit that is easy to assemble. All components are top-quality, with a premium and sturdy feel, enclosed in individual antistatic bags. The kit is in a reusable plastic container that is big enough to contain additional components you may want to use with your Maqueen (remember, the Maqueen is expandable).
Here is my unboxing and assembly video (just under 6 minutes).
Programming demonstration
Let’s look at how to program the Maqueen. In this video, I talk about the tools I have used, the programming process, and the MakeCode programming language.
Then, I go through the five experiments.
Feel free to jump to the segment of the video that you are interested in using the timestamps in this list:
- 00:07 – MakeCode language
- 00:41 – Chrome WebUSB
- 01:39 – DFRobot documentation
- 02:31 – Experiment 1: Motor control
- 09:53 – Experiment 2: RGB LED
- 14:21 – Experiment 3: Ultrasonic sensor
- 16:41 – Experiment 4: Line sensors
- 20:45 – Line sensors calibration
- 22:40 – In conclusion
Enjoy the video!
In conclusion
I’m impressed with the Maqueen.
It is very easy to assemble and is an excellent tool for teaching basic programming and robotics skills. The educational material that is bundled with the Maqueen is excellent. This is our big advantage for anything to do with education in the classroom or out of the classroom.
The Maqueen is ideal for absolute beginners and intermediate learners in the classroom, and at home.
It has multiple integrated sensors and is expandable so you can connect other components to the Micro:bit through the McQueen chassis.
Your learning opportunities with the Maqueen can grow as your knowledge grows.