DIY Rovio Northstar Truetrack Beacon

thingiverse

Robotics enthusiast perseveres in reverse-engineering Northstar positioning system used by Wowwee Rovio telepresence robot. Despite manufacturer discontinuing production and refusing to divulge tracking beacon signal protocols, the resourceful hobbyist successfully decodes signaling frequencies for up to nine additional beacons, sharing detailed instructions and frequency charts on RoboCommunity forum. The inventive individual utilizes an Arduino-controlled circuit with infrared LEDs driven by transistors programmed with specific station ID frequencies, enabling creation of custom tracking stations. By scanning frequencies and building homemade beacons, the robot can now navigate a network of up to ten tracking beacons, providing enhanced positioning capabilities for remote exploration or surveillance purposes.