Manual and datasheet
Hardware
SICK S-300 laser range sensor
SICK S-300 is the laser rangefinder module on the Pioneer LX. It has 240 field of view, 30 meter maximum range and angular resolution. This may appear as a low resolution for things further away, but when you move the robot to map the surroundings it works well. When creating a map of an area the Mapper3 software will smooth out the area and create a high resolution map for you. One major issue with the SICK S-300 is that it cannot see obstacles above the robot base. Therefor we need to be careful with tables and other similar obstacles.
The Pioneer’s Kill Switch
The kill switch is a big red button that has to be raised before the motors will receive any power. If the robot ever acts unexpectedly, or is a danger for people or itself, we can hit this big red button to stop it. If needed, hardware can be connected to a special power connection on the battery which will stop delivering power when the switch is down.