The best way to learn how to build a robot is to start small. By making the simple robot below, you will understand some principles involved and how to make bigger ones.
Required Tools and Materials
Vibrator from a cell phone
Watch battery
Double sided foam tape
Cutting tool
Toothbrush with angled bristles
Remove the vibrator from the cell phone. There should be a couple of wires coming from it. Remove rubber or plastic coating from the final quarter on the wires. Make sure they are stripped so you can join it to the battery.
Step 2
Use any cutting tool to cut the toothbrush’s handles. Cut a portion off the foam tape. Take off the coating on the sides. Stick this to the rear of the toothbrush head.
Step 3
Set the vibrator on the rear of the toothbrush head. Fasten it with some tape. Make sure the tape is set on the toothbrush tip. You can use the other end when you build a robot, but the toothbrush tip will produce better results.
Step 4
Grab one of the wires exposed. Attach this to the tape’s empty side. This will let you put the battery on it.
Step 5
Position the battery flat on the wires that are exposed. The battery should be sticking to the tape too.
Step 6
There is another wire not on the battery or the tape. Hold this wire and connect it to the battery top. This will turn on the vibrator.
Step 7
Get another foam tape piece. Use this to attach the other wire on to the battery.
Step 8
Put the object on a surface with the bristles set down. It should move around and make a few simple turns.
Tips and Warnings
Probably the most difficult part here is looking for the vibrator. Sometimes this will resemble a watch battery. The only difference would be the two wires sticking out of it. In some cell phones, the vibrator may assume a cylindrical shape. But what really sets it apart is the weight; it is quite heavy.
Make sure all the components are working before you attempt to make the robot. If the vibrator or battery is damaged, the robot will not function.
This example shows how easy it is to learn how to build a robot. It will only take you a few minutes to put the whole thing together. This will give you confidence to make more complex pieces.
