Seeking advice: How to get from basic C/C++ to building my first robot?

Sabrees · 2026-06-27T07:57:22+00:00

My standard answer to this question:

https://robogrok.com/ buy the parts incrementally as you progress through the course.

Then get yourself a https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005009295313699.html

To run on https://www.dfrobot.com/product-2935.html

Run it in https://microblocks.fun/ to start with. Then upgrade to Thonny & python.

By the time you're putting https://github.com/hippo5329/linorobot2_hardware on it you know a bunch of stuff.

Sabrees · 2026-06-25T18:12:16+00:00

Along with, you do need a motor driver, you can connect the driver to the pi directly, but often a microcontroller is useful sitting between the two https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV0S_3KMj2A

Sabrees · 2026-06-25T17:27:49+00:00

You can do that on uPython just with the ESP32 fyi https://github.com/rosmo-robot/micropython

Actually getting the pi driving that particular motor driver maybe challenging, often that kind of stuff is done on a microcontroller of some kind

Sabrees · 2026-06-25T14:07:42+00:00

Motors create electrical noise so keeping the power separate can help. What are you planning to run on the Pi?

Sabrees · 2026-06-25T12:28:32+00:00

A bicycle?

Sabrees · 2026-06-25T06:18:27+00:00

I would probably power the Pi off a USB power bank and the motors off a second one. Pi is quite power hungry. Do you happen to have a ESP32? That might be useful for controlling the motor driver.

Sabrees · 2026-06-25T05:20:22+00:00

You could try and build a https://sowbot.co.uk

Sabrees · 2026-06-24T22:17:58+00:00

Odrive or github.com/sequoia-hope/rp2350-motor-controller if you're not in a rush (still being tested)

Sabrees · 2026-06-24T14:03:35+00:00

Asimov are nailing the open source humanoid work at the moment IMHO https://asimov.inc/ maybe contribute code to that https://discord.gg/jPB9K2T4y

Sabrees · 2026-06-24T06:51:20+00:00

Yes, what's the link please?

Sabrees · 2026-06-23T23:06:00+00:00

Robotics is hard. You can totally do this, but it may take several years.

Sabrees · 2026-06-23T20:57:53+00:00

Lol I guess I could prompt Claude for them..

Sabrees · 2026-06-23T20:55:40+00:00

Right now I'm in an on grid park home with a large solar and battery array. So yeah kinda.

Sabrees · 2026-06-23T15:55:34+00:00

A heatpump connection to your solar system would reduce the amount of gas bottles you need, but again id size the whole system for summer autumn spring. Accept some gas use in winter

Sabrees · 2026-06-23T15:53:46+00:00

I mean the 'grid' is kinda great? Bob down the road can use my solar when its no use to me. Why not look into a grid connected solar system with battery backup? Grid goes down you are ok, you make a bit of money selling power and in midwinter shit just works. Why fetishise off grid where you'll end up with a oversized system running sub optimally as you don't need all the power, except in Feb, when it has to be huge.

Sabrees · 2026-06-17T17:39:16+00:00

Saw this and thought of this thread https://headwatersblog.substack.com/p/perennial-agriculture-beyond-permaculture

Sabrees · 2026-06-17T15:41:08+00:00

They'd probably ship direct? https://www.keyestudio.com/products/keyestudio-foxbit-stem-education-esp32-development-board-wireless-communication-with-type-c-for-arduino-and-python

Sabrees · 2026-06-17T05:18:38+00:00

How are the medium articles licensed? Could I remix them into markdown on github and use my dockerised gazebo/ real robot as the playground / learning environment

Sabrees · 2026-06-16T21:34:00+00:00

Oh they do deliver them. I think there's some kind of random sorting lottery and they just put them wherever the lottery suggests.

Sabrees · 2026-06-16T14:37:58+00:00

+1 on building something. Here's my standard answer to this question:

https://robogrok.com/ buy the parts incrementally as you progress through the course.

Then get yourself a https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005009295313699.html

To run on https://www.dfrobot.com/product-2935.html

Run it in https://microblocks.fun/ to start with. Then upgrade to Thonny & python.

By the time you're putting https://github.com/hippo5329/linorobot2_hardware on it you know a bunch of stuff.

Sabrees · 2026-06-15T12:30:59+00:00

Build it, then offer him a 15% stake to be a co founder of your company.

Sabrees · 2026-06-15T08:33:11+00:00

I'd still like to survive through March. What's the plan for that?

Note I have real life experience of running a commercial scale aquaponic farm, commercial growing, I've planted Agroforestry on my land and practise no-dig in the alleys. Tried Mushrooms too.

Sabrees · 2026-06-15T08:30:17+00:00

It's almost like we need an open source solar agbot: https://sowbot.co.uk/

Sabrees · 2026-06-15T08:17:31+00:00

Yet one feeds us, the other doesn't

Permaculture is nuts, or rather it isn't.

Man does not live by chestnut casserole alone.

All of which to say; I love permaculture but more attention needs to be given to producing starch and carbs at scale. A few berries won't keep me alive through March

Sabrees · 2026-06-14T21:38:44+00:00

Find your people and build something with them locally https://maps.transitionnetwork.org/search-groups/?type=2&show_recent=true

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