Junior Rasmussen
LEGO's WeDo 2.0 is a wireless solution that utilizes low-energy Bluetooth technology to communicate with the connected device. The WeDo 2.0 motor can be controlled by sending positive or negative values to determine the direction of spin, with small speed values potentially not registering due to inertia. The WeDo 2.0 set includes a medium-powered motor, with the option to connect additional motors and sensors. The WeDo motor is also compatible with certain LEGO BOOST and Powered Up applications, although functionality may vary.
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What You'll Learn
Bluetooth connectivity
The LEGO WeDo 2.0 hub uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology, a subset of the Bluetooth 4.0 standard, allowing robots to be autonomous. This is an upgrade from the first WeDo version, which used USB.
To connect to the WeDo 2.0 hub, you must first ensure Bluetooth is enabled on your device. Then, press the green button on the WeDo 2.0 hub until it appears in the connection window. You can then click on the specific hub to connect.
If you are connecting via a Windows 8.1 device, you will need to go to the Bluetooth connection in Windows Settings and pair your device with the hub. If you are connecting via a Windows 10 device, you may experience Bluetooth connectivity issues with the WeDo 2.0 hub due to the "Fall Creators Update". Microsoft has released a fix for this issue.
If you are connecting via a smartphone, the WeDo 2.0 hub will likely show up as LPF2 Smart Hub 2 I/O. To find the Bluetooth address of the WeDo 2.0 hub, you can put it in discovery mode and run the following command: robot@ev3dev:~# sudo hcitool -i hci0 lescan LE Scan. In the output, the Bluetooth address will be displayed as a series of numbers and letters.
To control the WeDo 2.0 motor via Bluetooth, you can use Python code to dictate which port of the WeDo-Hub the motor is connected to and send commands to spin the motor in a specific direction.
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Direction control
The WeDo 2.0 set includes one medium motor that can be programmed to turn clockwise and counter-clockwise, as well as move at different power levels. To spin the motor in one direction, send a positive value from 1 to 100 (or 01 to 64 in hexadecimal). To spin in the opposite direction, send a "negative" value from 255 to 156 (or FF to 9C in hexadecimal). It is worth noting that for small speed values (less than 20%), the motor will not respond as not enough power is provided to overcome its inertia.
The WeDo 2.0 set can be controlled via the iPad app or by writing a Scratch program. The set also includes a tilt sensor that detects changes within six different positions and a motion sensor. The tilt sensor can be used to control the direction of the WeDo 2.0 motor.
One way to build a steerable remote-controlled vehicle with just one motor is to use a system of gears to alternately drive the left or right wheel of a differential drive robot, depending on the turning direction of the motor. Another method is to have two wheels with wide tires in the front, connected to the motor, and a single caster wheel with a narrow tire at the back of the vehicle, not connected to the motor. The caster wheel would roll straight when the vehicle drives forward, but when driving backward, it would snap to a certain angle.
Another option is to have two wheels in the front, with one of them attached to the motor, and a smaller wheel with less traction at the back. The unpowered wheel in the front can only rotate forward by adding a ratchet. When driving forward, the vehicle will move straight, guided by the rear wheel. When driving backward, the ratchet will engage, stopping one wheel, and causing the vehicle to turn.
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Battery options
The WeDo 2.0 set includes a single medium-powered motor, a motion sensor, and a tilt sensor. There are several battery options available for the WeDo 2.0 set. The set can be powered by regular alkaline or rechargeable AA-sized batteries. Alternatively, users can purchase the LEGO Education Smarthub rechargeable battery, which is sold separately. This battery is a Li-Ion Polymer battery that takes 3 hours to fully charge and can be charged 500 times before its capacity decreases to 80%. It is recommended that only one motor connects to one hub to limit power consumption.
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Motor compatibility
The LEGO Education WeDo 2.0 Core Set includes a Medium Motor that can be programmed to turn clockwise and counter-clockwise and to move at different power levels. The motor can be controlled using an EV3 touch sensor or a smartphone with BLE support. The WeDo 2.0 motor is not compatible with LEGO MINDSTORMS Education Sensors and Motors due to different technology platforms.
The WeDo 2.0 motor has the same connector as the LEGO Boost motor, but it is unclear if they are fully compatible. Some users have reported that the WeDo motor works with the Boost hub, while others have found that the Boost app does not recognize the WeDo motor. It appears that the WeDo motor is electrically compatible with the new Powered Up motors, but it may not have the same functionality as the Boost motor when using the PoweredUp app.
The WeDo 2.0 motor can also be used with the LEGO BOOST line, which is a kind of WeDo 2.0 update for general users. The WeDo 2.0 motor can be used to power a drivetrain, but it cannot be used for steering as it does not have an internal rotation sensor.
It is recommended that only one motor be connected to one hub to limit power consumption. The WeDo 2.0 Smarthub can connect to external motors, sensors, or any new component belonging to the LPF 2.0 system via two I/O ports.
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Sensor integration
The LEGO WeDo 2.0 set includes a motion sensor and a tilt sensor, both of which have increased functionality compared to the previous system. The motion sensor can detect objects moving closer or further away, while the tilt sensor has a new shake mode and can report orientation. For example, when using the tilt sensor, 0 is flat, 1 is down, 2 is right, and 4 is left.
To integrate these sensors into a project, they must be connected to the LEGO WeDo USB Hub, which in turn connects to a tablet via Low Energy Bluetooth. The software can then be programmed to use the sensor inputs in various ways, such as starting a motor when a sound is detected or displaying how loud a sound is.
It is important to note that the two versions of WeDo, 1.0 and 2.0, use different connectors, so the sensors from one version are not interchangeable with the other. Additionally, the WeDo 2.0 motor does not have a rotation sensor, which may limit its functionality in certain applications.
The WeDo sensors and motors are also compatible with Pybricks software, which supports them as long as the connector fits.
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Frequently asked questions
To control the direction of a WeDo 2.0 motor, send a positive value from 1 to 100 (or 01 to 64 in hexadecimal) to spin in one direction. Send a "negative" value from 255 to 156 (or FF to 9C in hexadecimal) to spin in the opposite direction. Set the speed as zero (00) to stop the motor.
The Smarthub 2 I/O Rechargeable Battery is a Li-Ion Polymer battery sold separately from the WeDo 2.0 set. It offers a full charge time of 3 hours and can be charged while turned on, although this will increase the charge time.
Yes, you can connect up to three Smarthubs to one device at the same time. This allows you to connect up to six motors or sensors (or any combination of the two).
No, the WeDo motor is not compatible with the Boost app. However, it is compatible with the PoweredUp app, which can be used with Boost hubs.
