ANTHONY NISTOR // STACKR

Stackr Differential Drive

A small squared-off robot that packs two driven wheels, a caster, a battery, and a purpose-built controller into one printed chassis.

OPEN DESIGN WALKTHROUGH VIEW HARDWARE & VIDEO
// SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE

How Stackr Is Put Together

The chassis was revised in CAD as a DIY Alvik-style body, then printed and fitted with a custom driver board. An Arduino-compatible Nano sits on headers so the robot can be programmed from the top deck.

  • Differential Drive Two gear motors turn the wheels. A ball caster carries the opposite end of the shell.
  • Printed Chassis The body has top vents, service holes beside the wheels, and room for the battery and controller.
  • Custom Driver Board The PCB provides an Arduino footprint, motor driver, power input, a DC-DC converter, a servo header, and I2C. The board is marked AI Depot Inc.
STACKR_ASSEMBLY.LOG ACTIVE
1. BATTERY

18650 cell through the converter on the driver board

POWER
↓ Regulated rail
2. DRIVER PCB

Motor controller and Arduino footprint

BOARD
↓ Motor outputs
3. DRIVE

Two gear motors and the front caster

MOTION
// DESIGN WALKTHROUGH

Chassis Cutaway

The archive has no running video for this revision. The CAD cutaway is the demonstration of how the drive and sensors sit in the shell.

CHASSIS_CUTAWAY.PNGREV V4

Motors, Caster, and Controller

The cutaway shows the gear motors side by side, shafts running out to the wheels, and a downward-looking sensor ahead of the ball caster. A separate board render places the Arduino, motor controller, and power parts on one PCB.

// HARDWARE & SOFTWARE

System Component Breakdown

01

Printed Shell

White chassis and lid, with vents and openings for the wheel hardware.

02

Gear Motors

A matched pair driving printed wheels and rubber tires.

03

Driver PCB

Custom board with motor driver, converter, servo header, and an Arduino footprint.

04

Nano

Arduino-compatible controller mounted on headers on the top deck.

// PROJECT MEDIA

Build Photographs & Drawings

From loose parts, through the closed shell, to the installed controller.

Parts Kit
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Parts Kit

Shell, wheels, tires, motors, caster, cell, and fasteners before assembly.

Closed Chassis
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Closed Chassis

The finished shell with a wheel sitting just proud of the body.

Driver Board
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Driver Board

The custom PCB seated in the printed shell.

Top-Deck Nano
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Top-Deck Nano

The controller on headers so the robot can be programmed without opening the body.

Exterior CAD
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Exterior CAD

The closed body, vents, and one driven wheel in the model.

Board Layout
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Board Layout

Arduino, motor controller, converter, servo, and I2C on one board.

// SLIDESHOW

All Project Pictures

49 photographs and drawings from this build.

20250529_101808.jpg 1 / 49
20250529_101808.jpg
// TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

System Parameters & Metrics

PARAMETER SPECIFICATION / VALUE
Platform Differential-drive mobile robot
Drive Two gear motors and a ball caster
Energy 18650 cell and holder
Controller Arduino-compatible Nano on headers
Driver Board Custom PCB marked AI Depot Inc.
Board Interfaces Motor driver, DC-DC converter, servo header, I2C
Chassis 3D-printed shell, CAD revision V4