Micro:Maqueen Lite - Educational Robot Platform for Micro:bit

If you’ve ever marvelled at the many different kinds of robots in our increasingly modern world and have always dreamed of building your own robot  army  entourage, but have never really known where to start, the Micro:Maqueen Lite Educational Robot Platform for Micro:bit is here to fix that, by offering one of the most user-friendly and exciting robotics kits that Hobbyist Electronics has ever seen. By using the advanced but extremely simplified Micro:bit Educational Development Board, along with built in components and integrated functionality, the Micro:Maqueen Lite makes learning about, experimenting with, and ultimately mastering Robotics not just fun, but also easy. It comes in a handy little carry case, and all of the parts simply clip together or plug in, to result a fully functioning robotics platform that just needs a Micro:bit Dev’ Board to act as a brain.

In terms of the onboard features that you’ll be able to experiment with, the chassis of the Micro:Maqueen is made entirely from a PCB, with integrated components and modules that include two greyscale sensors for line following, four RGB ambient light sensors so it can track light and follow or run away from it, a powerful onboard PWM motor driver for controlling the N20 Metal Gear Motors, an infrared receiver and decoder for IR remote control, some onboard LEDs and a buzzer for interacting and making noise, as well as some I/O Expansion interfaces and an I2C interface for external Modules as well. These are complemented perfectly with an included HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Distance Sensor for obstacle avoidance, two rubber wheels for easy grip on all surfaces, a POM roller wheel for versatile movement in the front, and a convenient 3xAAA Battery Holder with adhesive tape for simplified power that anyone and everyone has access to.

As you can see, with all kinds of onboard functions and integrated goodies, the Micro:Maqueen Lite is a ready-to-go kit that just needs a Micro:bit Board in order to offer an incredible level of diverse functionality, and with a simple slot on the top where you can plug your Micro:bit V2 or V1 board into like a cartridge, this Robotics Kit is almost Plug’n’Play – with extra emphasis on the Play! So if you’ve always dreamed of building robots, but have never really known where to start your robotics adventures, the Micro:bit Maqueen Lite is one of the easiest yet most diverse Robotics & Electronics Learning Kits that not only helps anyone and everyone get started in robotics, but also offers a lot of room for further expansion too.

Please Note: This awesome little robot kit will require a microcontroller to work, and is compatible with both the original Micro:Bit Dev’ Board, as well as the newer Micro:bit V2 Dev’ Board, so take a look at these and choose the one that suits you best so that you can operate your Micro:Maqueen Lite.

Additional Resources:

• To find out more and enjoy some of visual explanations that have been made for this fancy little robot, check out the original DFRobot Micro:Maqueen Lite Product Page, where you can also download some extra resources like the digital user manual and game cards.
  
  

• If you’d like to check out what kinds of fun games and learning experiences that you can expect with the Micro:Maqueen Lite, we recommend downloading this Micro:Maqueen Lite Digital User Manual to explore the fun, colourful and easy to understand contents.

Finally we encourage you to check out this fun video that does a great job at demonstrating a lot of the features and functionality of the Micro:Maqueen, as well as many of the cool extras that you can install once you’ve gotten the hang of the basics:

An open source brand with a heart for computer education, Micro:Bit began with the release of their small development board in 2016. The brand shot into teacher’s classrooms and into the hands of children and adults alike, who were ready to learn. The Micro:Bit board does everything in the most tangible way, allowing you to learn practically at every step. Soon, the Microbit Education Foundation sprung to life and produced a website full of free educational resources and lesson plans. Students have the chance to create games, explore coding and design robotics projects. All with the help of Micro:Bit’s easy to understand educational platform! We stock an array of Micro:Bit products, including full educational kits and robotics projects for you to build. Let Micro:Bit bring fun to your first ever electronics project, and enjoy embarking on a whole new creative journey.