Pololu Balboa Chassis with Stability Conversion Kit (No Motors, Wheels, or Electronics)
Available with a lead time
Expect dispatch between May 20 and May 22
Quantity Discounts:
- 6-12 $55.46 (exc GST)
- 12+ $54.33 (exc GST)
This chassis kit consists of the structural pieces from the Balboa 32U4 Robot Kit plus the Stability Conversion add-on, giving you almost everything you need to build a differential-drive Balboa robot based on your own electronics. Motors and wheels are deliberately not included with the kit so that you can pick your own to customize the look and performance of your robot (see the Selecting motors and wheels section below for more information). The kit includes the following parts:
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- Balboa core chassis
- battery box and cover
- two motor retention clips/gearbox housings
- two gearbox covers
- six 683 ball bearings
- two 3 mm D-shafts
- ten plastic pinion gears (small – two each with 17, 19, 21, 23, and 25 teeth)
- ten plastic output gears (large – two each with 41, 43, 45, 47, and 49 teeth)
- battery terminals
- Stability Conversion Kit
- chassis extension piece/ball caster holder
- three rollers
- 1"-diameter plastic ball
- ball caster retention clip
The majority of the chassis is made from black ABS plastic, and these pieces securely snap together for quick assembly. The main chassis piece contains an integrated battery holder that can be configured for four or six AA batteries (batteries are not included), and it also has slots for two micro metal gearmotors, which are held in place by two configurable plastic gearboxes. These gearboxes further increase the gear ratio of the required gearmotors while the weight of the chassis with ball bearings rather than the gearmotor shafts themselves. The gearboxes also position the wheel shafts along the central plane of the battery holder, which is helpful for balancing applications.
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The stability conversion piece holds a large ball caster and clips onto the front of the chassis to provide a smooth third point of contact for traditional differential-drive applications. If you are using this chassis to make a balancing robot, you can leave this piece off, or you can add it without the ball caster to make the chassis taller and to provide additional mounting points.
For balancing applications, please consider also getting the bumper cage kit for Balboa to make it easier for your robot to pop itself up from horizontal and to help protect your electronics from falls.
Selecting motors and wheels
The Balboa chassis will work with any of Pololu's micro metal gearmotors. These gearmotors are available in a variety of different gear ratios and power levels, and Pololu do not include any with the kit so you can choose the ones that will work best for your particular application. For a general purpose robot, Pololu recommend the 30:1 HPCB, 50:1 HPCB, or 75:1 HPCB micro metal gearmotors with extended back shafts that can be used with encoders. Even if you do not plan on using encoders on your first robot, it is nice to have the option later. Please note that the gearmotors you pick will be further reduced by the gearboxes on the chassis, which offer five reduction options during assembly ranging from 1.64:1 to 2.88:1 (see this gear ratio chart (447k pdf) for more information).
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Pololu also do not include wheels with the kit since there are many colors and sizes to choose from. If you are using it as a traditional chassis oriented on its side and supported by two wheels and the included ball caster, any wheel size from 60×8mm up through 90×10mm can work. Note that the chassis will be approximately level with the 60×8mm wheels, and with larger wheels, the front will slope down. For balancing applications, Pololu recommend 80×10mm Pololu wheels. See Pololu's full selection of Pololu wheels for more options. This diagram shows the possible chassis angles with four different wheel sizes ranging from 60 mm through 90 mm:
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Variety of chassis angles available when using different wheels on the Balboa Chassis with Stability Conversion. |
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Assembling the Balboa Chassis
The assembly instructions of the Balboa 32U4 Robot user’s guide also apply to the Balboa Chassis Kit. Just skip the steps pertaining to the Balboa 32U4 control board and instead install your own electronics! And if you later decide you want to turn your chassis into a Balboa 32U4 robot, the Balboa 32U4 control board is available separately.
People often buy this product together with:
 | 50:1 Micro Metal Gearmotor HPCB 6V with Extended Motor Shaft |
 | Pololu Wheel 80×10mm Pair - Black |
 | Bumper Cage Kit for Balboa |
Dimensions
| Size: | 185 × 112 × 80 mm1 |
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| Weight: | 130 g2 |
Notes:
- 1
- Of assembled chassis with stability conversion kit and 80×10 mm wheels.
- 2
- Of assembled chassis with stability conversion kit and motors. This weight does not include wheels, batteries, or any electronics.
Documentation and other information
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Pololu Balboa 32U4 Balancing Robot User’s Guide (Printable PDF)
User’s manual for the Pololu Balboa 32U4 balancing robot.
File downloads
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Gear ratio chart for the Balboa Chassis (447k pdf)
This printable 1:1 scale chart helps you identify the gears included in the Balboa 32U4 Robot Kit and Balboa Chassis Kit and details the available gear ratios.
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Dimension diagram for the Balboa 32U4 Balancing Robot Kit (734k pdf)
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Dimension diagram of Stability Conversion Kit for Balboa (392k pdf)
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3D model of the assembled Balboa Balancing Robot (24MB step)
Note: this model includes micro metal gearmotors and 80mm wheels that are sold separately from the Balboa 32U4 Balancing Robot Kit. This model uses a simplified model of the Balboa 32U4 Control Board to reduce the file size.
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3D model of the Stability Conversion Kit for Balboa (4MB step)
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Products that weigh more than 0.5 KG may cost more than what's shown (for example, test equipment, machines, >500mL liquids, etc).
We deliver Australia-wide with these options (depends on the final destination - you can get a quote on the view cart page):
- $3+ for Stamped Mail (typically 10+ business days, not tracked, only available on selected small items)
- $6+ for Standard Post (typically 6+ business days, tracked)
- $10+ for Express Post (typically 2+ business days, tracked)
- Pickup - Free! Only available to customers who live in the Newcastle region (must order online and only pickup after we email to notify you the order is ready). Orders placed after 2PM may not be ready until the following business day.
Non-metro addresses in WA, NT, SA & TAS can take 2+ days in addition to the above information.
Some batteries (such as LiPo) can't be shipped by Air. During checkout, Express Post and International Methods will not be an option if you have that type of battery in your shopping cart.
International Orders - the following rates are for New Zealand and will vary for other countries:
- $11+ for Pack and Track (3+ days, tracked)
- $16+ for Express International (2-5 days, tracked)
If you order lots of gear, the postage amount will increase based on the weight of your order.
Our physical address (here's a PDF which includes other key business details):
Unit 18, 132 Garden Grove Parade
Adamstown
NSW, 2289
Australia
Take a look at our customer service page if you have other questions such as "do we do purchase orders" (yes!) or "are prices GST inclusive" (yes they are!). We're here to help - get in touch with us to talk shop.
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