Zumo Shield for Arduino

SKU: POLOLU-2504 Brand: Pololu

Retired Product

Search for an alternative
This product has been retired. It is no longer available, but this page has been kept for reference.

New version available: This product is being replaced by the newer Zumo Shield for Arduino, v1.2, which includes a gyroscope as well as a newer accelerometer and magnetometer. The only reason to get the old version is if you want identical units to ones you already have (e.g. in a class where several units are shared), and even then, you should still consider the newer version since it is a drop-in replacement except for a few small changes to the magnetometer and accelerometer code.

Zumo Shield for Arduino, assembled top view.

Overview

The Zumo Shield is designed specifically to be a convenient interface between a Zumo chassis and an Arduino Uno or Leonardo. The shield mounts directly to the chassis, connecting to its battery terminals and motors, and the Arduino plugs into the shield’s male header pins, face down. The shield provides all the electronics necessary to power the motors and includes some additional fun components for making a more interesting robot, such as a buzzer for making sounds and a 3-axis accelerometer and compass.

With the Zumo Shield and an Arduino, the Zumo chassis becomes a low-profile, Arduino-controlled tracked robot that is less than 10 cm on each side (small enough to qualify for Mini-Sumo competitions). It works with a variety of micro metal gearmotors to allow for a customizable combination of torque and speed, and a stainless steel sumo blade is available for applications that involve pushing around other objects. Arduino libraries and sample sketches are available for quickly getting a Zumo robot up and running.

Assembled Zumo robot with a Zumo Shield, Arduino Uno, and Zumo blade.
Zumo robot assembled with a Zumo Shield and Arduino Uno, back view.

This shield is also available bundled with a Zumo chassis and Zumo blade.

Features

  • Integrated DRV8835 dual motor drivers capable of delivering enough current for two high-power (HP) micro metal gearmotors. See the Zumo chassis product page for specific motor suggestions.
  • Piezo buzzer for playing simple sounds and music. The buzzer is controlled by one of the Arduino’s PWM outputs, so the tones can be generated in the background without taking up a lot of processing power.
  • Integrated LSM303DLHC 3-axis accelerometer and 3-axis magnetometer that can be used to detect impacts. The compass gets a lot of interference from the motors, batteries, PCB, and its surroundings, so it is not generally useful for precision navigation, but Pololu have found that with proper calibration, it can be used for rough orientation measuring in many environments.
  • Optional user pushbutton on pin 12.
  • 7.5 V boost regulator for powering the Arduino from the Zumo’s 4 AA batteries.
  • Convenient access to Arduino I/O lines, the pin 13 user LED, and the Arduino reset line via the shield.
  • General-purpose prototyping areas and an expansion area at the front for connecting additional sensors (it is easy to add up to five QTR sensors for edge detection or line following).
  • Compatible with the Arduino Uno R3 and Arduino Leonardo, and can also be used with older Arduinos that have the same form factor, like the Duemilanove.
  • Arduino libraries and sample code make getting started easy.
  • Detailed user’s guide with assembly instructions.

Included Components

The Zumo Shield ships with all of the components required for shield assembly, as shown in the main product picture. Note that soldering is required; please see the user’s guide for detailed assembly instructions. The shield does not include motors or the Zumo chassis itself, though it is available as part of a combination deal with the Zumo chassis and Zumo blade.

Zumo chassis being assembled with two micro metal gearmotors.

Required Accessories (not included)

To use this shield you will need a few additional parts:

  • A Zumo chassis kit. This shield is also available as part of a combo product with the Zumo chassis kit and a Zumo blade.
  • Two micro metal gearmotors. These gearmotors are available in several power options and a wide variety of gear ratios, allowing for a customizable combination of torque and speed. The Zumo Shield can deliver enough power for all of the micro metal gearmotors Pololu carry, including the high-power (HP) versions. Note that some gear ratios are better suited for the Zumo than others; please see the Zumo chassis kit product page for specific motor suggestions.
  • Four AA batteries. The Zumo chassis works with both alkaline and NiMH batteries, though Pololu recommend rechargeable NiMH cells.
  • An Arduino. The Zumo Shield works with both the Uno and the Leonardo. It is not compatible with the Arduino Mega or Due, but it can be used with older Arduinos that have the same form factor as the Uno, such as the Duemilanove.

Optional Accessories

Zumo reflectance sensor array on a Zumo robot, bottom view.
  • Zumo reflectance sensor array. This sensor bar mounts along the front edge of the Zumo shield and allows the Zumo to detect features on the ground in front of it, such as lines for following or edges for avoiding (such as the rim of a sumo ring or the edge of a table). It is designed specifically for use with the Zumo shield.
  • Zumo blade for pushing objects and other robots around (the blade is included if you get the Zumo robot kit combo).
  • iMAX-B6AC battery charger for charging the Zumo’s battery’s through the Zumo Shield’s 2-pin charge port. Note that you only need a battery charger if you plan on powering the Zumo with rechargeable cells, and that charger should be capable of charging 4 NiMH cells in series. Alternatively, since the Zumo just uses ordinary AA batteris, you can use AA chargers (into which you stick the individual cells) available at most general electronics stores.
  • Optical rangefinders for obstacle/opponent detection.
  • Connectors (headers, jumper wires, etc) for adding more sensors.

This product is listed in:

Retired

Product Comments

Exact shipping can be calculated on the view cart page (no login required).

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.

Have a product question? We're here to help!

Write Your Own Review

Guides

The Maker Revolution

The Maker Revolution celebrates the creation of new devices and the modification of existing ones - ...
The Maker Revolution celebrates the creation of new devices and the modification of existing ones - ...

Projects

Raspberry Pi Video Looper Display Installation | Overshare Video Festival

IntroductionA suspended ceiling display of forty repurposed screens and displays, each screening cr...
IntroductionA suspended ceiling display of forty repurposed screens and displays, each screening cr...

Mailbox Delivery Notification System

Introduction During the Covid lockdown, I needed something to do. The Postman or woman does not de...
Introduction During the Covid lockdown, I needed something to do. The Postman or woman does not de...

PiicoDev Schematic System

Introduction: Hi everybody. Over the past few weeks, I have been working on an intuitive system th...
Introduction: Hi everybody. Over the past few weeks, I have been working on an intuitive system th...
Feedback

Please continue if you would like to leave feedback for any of these topics:

  • Website features/issues
  • Content errors/improvements
  • Missing products/categories
  • Product assignments to categories
  • Search results relevance

For all other inquiries (orders status, stock levels, etc), please contact our support team for quick assistance.

Note: click continue and a draft email will be opened to edit. If you don't have an email client on your device, then send a message via the chat icon on the bottom left of our website.

Makers love reviews as much as you do, please follow this link to review the products you have purchased.