[list=][/list]Well, I couldn’t resist taking Sparki apart and refitting him with larger wheels and a bigger body so that he can serve wine at my wife’s parties… The new ten inch wheels increase his speed dramatically, and, since I increased his height by about 36", I added casters to keep him stable. Programming is simple, go from point A to point B and stop, then go back, so Sparki has plenty of brains to do this. Random wandering with ultrasound sensing is also something I’ve tried.
Unfortunately, the added weight of the new body has proven too much for Sparki’s 5 v stepper motors. They bog down frequently from too much friction and too much weight, and the wine often doesn’t make it to it’s destination.
So, my simple question is, is it theortetically possible to replace Sparki’s 5 v stepper motors and 4 AA batteries with the Adafruit 12 v stepper motors and a 12 v power supply without burning up Sparki’s board? I’m looking at adafruit.com/products/918. Looks like the connections, form factor and stepper configuration are identical, just a more powerful motor.
Thanks in advance for any help. If I make any progress, I will upload the video and the design details.