Pioneer 2 User Manual
Page 16
Specifications and Controls
10
Nose
The Nose of Pioneer 2 is empty, except when equipped with an onboard PC. The Nose is readily
removable: Simply remove one screw from under the front sonar array, and a second screw from the
bottom of the Pioneer 2, then slide the Nose away.
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This provides a quick and easy way to get at the
PC104+ stack of accessory boards of the onboard PC, as well as to the sonar gain adjustment for the front
sonar array (see Sonar Gain below). The Nose also is an ideal place for you to attach your own custom
accessories and sensors.
Accessory Panels
The Pioneer 2 DX comes with a removeable panel on each side of the robot on which you can install
accessory connnectors and controls. A special sidepanel comes with the onboard PC option, for example,
which gives users monitor, keyboard, mouse (serial port), and 10base-T Ethernet access, as well as the
means to reset and power the computer.
The AT comes with a single accessory panel in the Deck. Fastened down with finger-tight screws, the AT
accessory panel is accessible through its hinged door.
Sonar Arrays
Pioneer 2 supports up to two sonar range-finding arrays. One array, affixed under the front of the Deck and
atop the Nose, provides forward- and side-range sensing. The other, an optional sonar array is attached just
beneath the rear Deck and provides rearward, as well as side sensing. All arrays contain eight sonars, for a
total of 16 sonars around the robot.
Motors and Position Encoders
Pioneer 2’s drive system uses high-speed, high-torque, reversible-DC motors. Each front drive motor
includes a high-resolution optical quadrature shaft encoder that provides 9,850 ticks per wheel revolution
(19 ticks per millimeter) for precise position and speed sensing and advanced dead-reckoning.
Sonars
Natively, the Pioneer 2 AT and DX support both front and rear sonar arrays (CE front only), each with
eight transducers that provide object detection and range information for features recognition, as well as
navigation around obstacles. The sonar positions are fixed in both arrays: one on each side, and six facing
outward at 20-degree intervals, together providing 360 degrees of nearly seamless sensing. An additional
16 sonars in two banks also are available with accessory hardware.
Figure 3-3. Pioneer 2 sonar array
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When attached, you will need to first remove the P2 Gripper before removing the Nose.