Hexbug VEX IQ User manual

Super Kit
User Guide
228-2500-750 V.20130930

2
Table of Contents
Kit Hardware Overview:.................................................................................................... 3
Common part types and primary functions................................................................................... 3
VEX IQ Kit Assembly Tips: ...............................................................................................6
Removing Connector Pins...................................................................................................................... 6
Fitting Small Gears, Pulleys, and Wheel Hubs onto Shaft....................................................... 6
Keeping the Shaft Supported & Seated in Smart Motors & Assemblies .......................7
Using VEX IQ Hardware: .................................................................................................. 8
VEX IQ Challenge.................................................................................................................9
Clawbot Instructions ......................................................................................................10
Part 1 Base ............................................................................................................................................... 10
Part 2 Claw ................................................................................................................................................ 28
Part 3 Tower.............................................................................................................................................42
Part 4 Ball Holder................................................................................................................................... 58
Part 5 Sensors......................................................................................................................................... 66
Autopilot Instructions....................................................................................................78
Control System Overview .............................................................................................85
Robot Brain Setup........................................................................................................... 86
Robot Battery Charging and Usage ...............................................................................................86
Radio Installation and Removal.........................................................................................................87
VEX Controller Setup ..................................................................................................... 89
Controller Battery Installation and Removal ..............................................................................89
Controller Battery Charging...............................................................................................................90
Radio Installation and Removal.........................................................................................................91
Initial Wireless Setup.....................................................................................................92
Power On and OFF..................................................................................................................................94
LED Indicators................................................................................................................... 94
Robot Brain................................................................................................................................................94
VEX Controller ..........................................................................................................................................95
VEX Controller Buttons and Joysticks........................................................................................... 95
Driver Control Program ................................................................................................ 96
Autopilot Program........................................................................................................... 97
LCD on the Robot Brain.................................................................................................99
Start Screen and List of Programs.............................................................................................100
Programs.................................................................................................................................................100
Run or Configure Driver Control ...................................................................................................100
Program Running Screen ...............................................................................................................101
VEX Controller Status ........................................................................................................................101
Smart Device Status...........................................................................................................................101
Configure Drive Control.....................................................................................................................102
Settings.....................................................................................................................................................103
Connector Ports and Buttons........................................................................................................104
Charge Port (VEX Controller) .........................................................................................................104
Tether Port (VEX Controller and Robot Brain).......................................................................105
Smart Device Ports.............................................................................................................................105
Connecting a Smart Motor .............................................................................................................106
Connecting a Bumper Switch.........................................................................................................107
Connecting a Touch LED...................................................................................................................108
Connecting a Distance Sensor ......................................................................................................109
Connecting a Color Sensor..............................................................................................................110
Connecting a Gyro Sensor...............................................................................................................111
Appendix A
Battery Safety and Disposal..................................................................................... 112
228-2779 VEX IQ Controller Battery Rules ...........................................................................112
228-2604 Robot Brain Battery Rules.......................................................................................112
228-2743 Robot Battery Charger .............................................................................................113
Software Update ..................................................................................................................................113
Getting Support.....................................................................................................................................113
Appendix B Compliance Statements..................................................................... 114
FCC Compliance Statement (United States)...........................................................................114
Industry Canada Compliance Statement .................................................................................115
Super Kit Inventory ...................................................................................................... 116
VEX IQ Super Kit ...................................................................................................................................116

3
Kit Hardware Overview:
If you can imagine it, you can build it with VEX IQ. Here’s an overview of common part types
and their primary functions to help you get started.
Common part types and primary functions
Beams
various sizes
Specialty Beams
angle, tee, right-angle beams
Plates
various sizes
Structural parts. Structural parts. Structural parts.
Connector Pins
various lengths
Standoffs
various lengths
Standoff Connectors
various types
Use with beams, plates, corner
connectors, and more.
Maintain desired spacing
between beams and plates.
Connect standoffs and connector
pins.
Corner Connectors
various types
Create corner connections
between beams, plates, or other
VEX IQ parts.

Mechanical Quick Start Guide
4
Shaft
various lengths
Shaft Bushing Shaft Lock Plates
various sizes
Transmit power to, or allow rotation
of, wheels, pulleys, gears, and
more.
Interfaces shafts with beams and
plates, allowing the shaft to spin
and be held in desired location.
Plates that lock onto shafts
allowing design components to spin
with the shaft.
Rubber Shaft Collars Twist Lock Shaft Collars Washers & Spacers
Holds objects on shafts and/or the
shaft itself in place.
Holds objects on shafts and/or the
shaft itself in place.
Use with shafts, reduces friction
and maintains desired spacing.

5
Pulleys
various sizes
Rubber Belts
various sizes
Rubber Band Anchor
Drive belts or make rollers and
small wheels.
Use with pulleys, as a form of
stored energy, and/or as a
fastener.
Use with rubber belts and bands.
Gears
various sizes
Wheel hubs and tires
various sizes
Smart Motor
Transmit power to another gear
and/or mechanism.
Rolling and powering movement. Creates rotary motion.

Mechanical Quick Start Guide
6
VEX IQ Kit Assembly Tips:
Removing Connector Pins
To remove connector pins from structural components, gently push the pin with your finger
from the back of the structural components to free it slightly, then it will be easier to pull it
out. Alternatively, a shaft can be used instead of a finger to push the pin from the back.
Fitting Small Gears, Pulleys, and Wheel Hubs onto Shaft
VEX IQ shafts are built to last and run flawlessly in powered applications. Gears, pulleys, and
wheel hubs fit very tightly on the VEX IQ shaft to ensure quality mechanisms with minimal
amounts of “wiggle”. Because of the intentionally tight fit, sliding smaller gears, pulleys, and
wheel hubs can be tough for some users. To help in this process, insert the shaft into a
large wheel hub (which acts as a temporary stand), then use the leverage from a beam or
plate to push the smaller gear, pulley, or wheel hub to the desired place. Then the temporary
stand can be removed and the shaft with small gears, pulleys, or wheel hubs can be
mounted on its mechanism.
Use Beam
To Help
Push Small
Gear
Temporary
Stand

7
Keeping the Shaft Supported & Seated in Smart Motors & Assemblies
Having a motor turn a shaft in the VEX IQ system is accomplished easily with only a few
parts. However, without proper shaft support and either a rubber shaft collar and/or a shaft
bushing, the shaft will quickly shift or fall out of your mechanism or Smart Motor.
Improper Support
(Shaft can fall out)
Improper Support
(Shaft can fall out)
Proper Support
(Shaft can’t fall out)
Proper Support
(Shaft can’t fall out)

Mechanical Quick Start Guide
8
Using VEX IQ Hardware:
To get yourself acquainted with the VEX IQ system, build the Clawbot from the provided instructions
on the following pages. The VEX IQ Clawbot was designed to be quickly and easily assembled, and
then driven around using the included Driver Control program. The claw and storage “backpack” allow
you to drive around, pick up, and store a variety of small objects.
There are four options for assembling the Clawbot:
After you assemble your Clawbot, pages 85 through 111 contain important information
about how to setup and use the VEX IQ control system. Be sure to periodically visit
vexrobotics.com/vexiq/firmware to access the Software Update utility to ensure your
Robot Brain, Controller, Smart Motors, and Sensors all have the latest firmware.
Free curriculum, containing additional lessons and activities, including the use of the
Clawbot, is available at vexrobotics.com/vexiq/education. These lessons can help build
student confidence with the VEX IQ platform.
Make the Clawbot smarter with sensors.
Build instructions on:
• Gyro Sensor, pages 66-67
• Touch LED, pages 68-70
• Distance Sensor, pages 70-72
• Bumper Switch, pages 73-75
• Color Sensor, pages 76-77
Quick and versatile drive base. Build
instructions on pages 10-27.
Drive, pick up, and manipulate objects.
Build instructions on pages 10-65.
Turn your standard Drive Base into an
Autopilot explorer. Build instructions on
pages 10-27 and pages 78-84.
Clawbot with
Sensors
ClawbotAutopilot
Robot
Standard
Drive Base

9
VEX IQ Challenge
Once you’ve mastered building the Clawbot, challenge yourself further with the VEX IQ
Challenge. Presented by the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation, the VEX IQ
Challenge is a STEM program for elementary and middle school students (ages 8-14).
The power of the VEX IQ system combined with the REC Foundation’s years of experience
inspiring students through robotics competitions is giving younger students more affordable
access to the inspiration, excitement and learning that comes from participating in a STEM
challenge.
In the VEX IQ Challenge, students, with guidance from their teachers and mentors, build a
robot using the VEX IQ robotics platform to solve an engineering challenge that is presented
in the form of a game. VEX IQ Challenge teams will work together to score points in
Teamwork Challenges. Teams then get to show off their robot’s skills individually in the robot
and autonomous Skills Challenges. Students will also use an Engineering Notebook to develop
an understanding of the design process. In addition to building robots, the STEM Challenge
component of the VEX IQ Challenge encourages students to actively learn about science,
technology, engineering and math.
Local VEX IQ Challenge events are held in many different cities, states, and countries. Top
teams from around the world will participate in local, regional and national VEX Robotics
Competitions. Teams will then qualify for VEX Robotics international competitions and the VEX
Robotics World Championship event held each Spring.
Visit RobotEvents.com to find the date and location of
a VEX competition near you. Teams can register online
to get an official team number and Welcome Kit and
to sign up for VEX IQ Challenge events.
CHALLENGE

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Clawbot Instructions
Clawbot Instructions
Part 1 Base
Step 1
Actual Size
1x
1x
4x
1x 1x
1x

11
1x
2x 2x 4x
1x
1x
Step 2
Actual Size

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Clawbot Instructions
1x
1x
1x
Step 3
1x
Actual Size

13
1x 1x 1x
Step 4
From Step 2
Actual Size
From Step 3

14
Clawbot Instructions
1x
1x 1x
Step 5
Step 6
1x
1x
Actual Size
Actual Size
From Step 4

15
Step 7
1x1x
From Step 4
From Step 5
From Step 6
From Step 1
Actual Size

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Clawbot Instructions
Step 8
From Step 7
1x
Not Actual Size

17
Step 9
Actual Size
1x
1x
4x
1x 1x
1x

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Clawbot Instructions
Step 10
1x
2x 2x 4x
1x
1x
Actual Size

19
Step 11
1x
1x
1x
1x
Actual Size

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Clawbot Instructions
Step 12
1x 1x 1x
From Step 11
From Step 10
Actual Size