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This Raspberry Pi RP2040 Robot is The Smallest We’ve Ever Seen
We love Raspberry Pi-powered robots but the Pico microcontroller, along with its RP2040 processor, has totally changed the game. Pi projects keep getting smaller which leads us to Dot, the smallest Pi-powered robot we’ve ever seen, created by maker Kaisar, also known as Roboticbits over at Twitter.
Introducing Dot.. a stamp size @Raspberry_Pi #RP2040 robot.. the smallest in the world! Makes a proper use of the @pimoroni #Tiny2040!#raspberrypi #robot #robotics #make pic.twitter.com/rnYghWY6NJNovember 11, 2021
This robot is smaller than the Raspberry Pi Pico module and, according to Kaisar, is roughly the size of a stamp. It’s built using Pimoroni’s Tiny2040 board, an ultra-small module featuring the RP2040 processor.
Dot is capable of locomotion, using two 3V geared DC motors. These motors are directly connected to the Tiny240 via GPIO, not something we recommend as the motors can pull more current than the GPIO can provide. This project is on the heels of another small RP2040 robot called Pica, also created by Kaisar, which uses a modified Raspberry Pi Pico along with three motors instead of two. These motors are controlled via a DRV8833 motor controller
The unit receives power from a 70mAh LiPo battery, making it totally mobile. To get things moving, Kaisar opted to program Dot using CircuitPython. However, plans are in the works to implement new code in the future using C++.
To get a closer look at these teeny Pi-powered bots, check out the original thread shared to Twitter by Kaisar.
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Ash Hill is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware with a wealth of experience in the hobby electronics, 3D printing and PCs. She manages the Pi projects of the month and much of our daily Raspberry Pi reporting while also finding the best coupons and deals on all tech.
