Maqueen Plus V3 - after unboxing

My project this week  is about my experiences with the new Maqueen Plus V3 from DFRobot. It has been designed for STEM Education and allows more advanced robotic concepts to be explored with the minimal of extra coding. A microbit computer is needed to executes the programs and software is developed on Microsoft Makecode with additional extensions from DFRobot.

What is special about this third generation of Maqueen Plus is:
* use of a Matrix Laser Ranging Sensor with and 8x8 array. Normally you only get 1 sensor but here you get 64 distance sensors.
* using PID algorithm in the controller's firmware
* recognition of different types of intersection for getting the robot to follow a route with a complex array of intersections
* ability for the user to replace motors
* it has light sensors
* RGB lights that can be used to assist debugging your program

Maqueen has had a good tradition and reputation and it is easily extendible by adding extra:
* electronic components from the Gravity range
* sensors such as the AI camera: Husky Lens
* support for additional mechanical gadgets such as servo based catchers, fork lifts etc

The on-line documentation and tutorials from DFRobot are good but there are many omissions and errors. But I was able to use the examples to develop my own programs. Some of the code is difficult to understand the some of the examples do not work.

One omission is that the use of the PID Algorithm is glossed over. You can not adjust the individual coefficients (kP, kI or kD ). This is a missed opportunity for more advanced students that could have seen calculus in use for machine control.

Despite these issues I still recommend Maqueen Plus V3 for STEM Education.

References:
Maqueen Plus V3 - after unboxing on Youtube  ( https://youtu.be/fhhYhoQkPdE )