I am a complete beginner, just getting into the world of electronics, in particular robotics. I have found a really nice open source set up that I want to build on and change for my own ends.

The existing bot has several servos attached to a custom arduino shield putting out PWM signals and the 6v required to run them. Most of these motors are "joints" in the bot but not all of them are required.

I want to repurpose two or four of these servos to run either wheels or tracks, so the bot would now have increased range and speed. Several friends mentioned continuous servos but these would not run very fast or wouldn't produce much torque (educated guess, please correct me if I'm wrong). Another group suggested stepper motors, but again, unsure to how these would perform.

Am I going along the right lines with geared motors? If so, how can I control these from standard 3 wire servo motor connections and arduino programming?

I was assuming I would have to "run" them for a period of time in programming to achieve a set distance or introduce a range sensor. I really hope I can repurpose the existing connections and board as it would save a lot of hassle in assembling my initial components.

Any help or links to hidden knowledge would be amazing

Many thanks

I am a complete beginner, just getting into the world of electronics, in particular robotics. I have found a really nice open source set up that I want to build on and change for my own ends.

The existing bot has several servos attached to a custom Arduino shield putting out PWM signals and the 6V required to run them. Most of these motors are "joints" in the bot but not all of them are required.

I want to repurpose two or four of these servos to run either wheels or tracks, so the bot would now have increased range and speed. Several friends mentioned continuous servos but these would not run very fast or wouldn't produce much torque (educated guess, please correct me if I'm wrong). Another group suggested stepper motors, but again, unsure to how these would perform.

Am I going along the right lines with geared motors? If so, how can I control these from standard 3 wire servo motor connections and Arduino programming?

I was assuming I would have to "run" them for a period of time in programming to achieve a set distance or introduce a range sensor. I really hope I can repurpose the existing connections and board as it would save a lot of hassle in assembling my initial components.

Any help or links to hidden knowledge would be amazing.