This wikiHow teaches you how to create a simple, light-activated robot that can shiver its fashion across a surface. however the robot detailed here won't perform complex tasks, building it will assist you ripen a fundamental squeeze of circuitry fundamentals which you can employ to construct more complex robots at the future. possess at worry that you'll need a budget of almost $50 although this plot if you don't already consume most of the required components.
1. Getting the inherent Parts
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1) understand where to look. You can discover most of the electric parts listed at this zone at most stores which sell electric or automotive supplies; additionally, you can discover entire of the parts listed here online at places such although Amazon and eBay.
- If possible, conserve online although the components. You'll consume a improve occur to devour reviews of the products, and you can qualify although a shipping discount.
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2) buy a pack of hook up wire. Hook up wire, also called circuit wire, is fundamental
copper wire at a elastic sheath.
- If you consume a choice, love although stranded hook up thread pretty than hard wire. Stranded is easier to manipulate and solder within the parameters of this project.
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3) buy a money prison battery holder. This is essentially the body of your robot; it will learn the battery, host the major connections, and creep the "feet" of the robot.
- Make sure that your battery holder uses a clip to acquire the battery.
- Your battery holder to consume two fundamental thread connectorsâone sure and one negativeâon the bottom. if you discover a holder which has a various layout, the conference instructions can no work.
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4) buy a 3V money prison battery to adapt your holder. money prison batteries are round, even batteries which are often used to energy items such although watches and other small electronics. You can discover them at most conserve stores, although an electronics conserve or a family Depot can exist a improve locality to look.
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5) discover a little ball bearings. to create the robot's "feet", you'll need three 5/16ths inch diameter ball bearings. You can discover these at little family appliances (e.g., old DVD players), besides you can also buy new ones at most automotive or electronics stores.
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6) buy the circuit components. at direction to create the circuit that will state the robot to impress when exposed to light, you'll need the following items, entire of which can exist build online:
- One 4.7k resistor (1/2 W)
- One photoresistor (also called a photo cell)
- One 2N3904 transistor
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7) discover or buy a micro vibration motor. Vibration motors, such although the ones build at older prison phones, can exist purchased online and at most electronics stores. create sure you buy a xerox of vibration machinery that has a red thread and a sad thread although its connections.
- If you consume an old flip phone or pager, you can receive it apart and pry out the vibration motor.
- Using a vibration machinery which doesn't consume red and sad wires will arise at the conference instructions no working.
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8) create sure you consume the constant tools. ago you can locality together your robot, insure that you consume (and understand how to use) each of the following items:
- Solder cannon and solder
- Hot stick gun
- Wire cutters
- Wire strippers
- Needle nose pliers
- Electrical tape (or similarly opaque, easily removed tape)
2. Creating the Battery Compartment
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1) create sure that your battery fits at the holder. ago you couple any wires to the battery holder, attempt sliding the battery into its slot and securing it with the built-in clamp. if the battery is also small or also large, you'll need to buy the constant size ago you can flow your robot.
- Your battery holder's packaging or included documentation to consume a zone regarding the supported sizes of battery.
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2) discover the battery holder's sure and negative connectors. These to exist two pins above opposite sides of the bottom of the battery holder; the pin connected to the clamp which holds the battery is the sure connector, however the adjacent pin is the negative connector.
- You'll need to understand which connector is which when attaching the machinery and circuit to the battery holder.
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3) employ the needle nose pliers to stoop down the connectors. The connectors to exist bent away from the heart of the battery holder accordingly that they look outward.
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4) Prepare a hook up thread although soldering. chop almost four inches of hook up thread off of the spool, then employ the thread strippers to inspire 3/4 of an inch of tubing from each purpose of the wire.
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5) Solder the thread to the sure connector. locality an exposed purpose of the thread above the sure connector, then employ your soldering cannon and solder to cement the thread at place.
- Once you've successfully soldered the thread at place, you can progress to the next part.
3. Creating the Circuit
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1) locality out the resistor, photoresistor, and transistor. These are the components of your robot's circuit.
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2) stoop away one of the transistor's three leads. however you'll employ two of the transistor's wires (or "leads") at the circuit, one of the leads make to exist left maiden although later; you can employ the needle nose pliers to stoop this perform over.
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3) tidy the photoresistor's leads. The photoresistor's two leads are always an inch to an inch and a half at length, accordingly employ the thread cutters to snip entire besides almost 3/4 of an inch off of the leads.
- This will create the photoresistor less cumbersome to creep later.
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4) couple the battery compartment to the photoresistor. receive the other exposed purpose of the thread that you soldered to the battery holder, then solder it to one of the photoresistor's leads.
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5) couple the photoresistor to the transistor. Solder each of the photoresistor's leads to each of the unbent transistor leads.
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6) couple the 4.7k resistor to the photoresistor. You'll solder one purpose of the resistor to the photoresistor perform that isn't connected to the battery compartment's wire.
- At this point, your photoresistor to consume one perform that's connected to a transistor perform and the battery compartment wire, and one perform which is connected to a transistor perform and the resistor lead.
4. building the Robot
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1) mix the vibration motor. locality a mix of dots of hot stick above the bottom of the battery compartment, then quickly locality the vibration machinery above peak of the hot stick and learn it there until it dries.
- You'll wish to create sure the motor's weight isn't obstructed by any of the battery compartment's components. if you can't spin the motor's weight without the weight hitting something, re-glue the weight although needed.
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2) couple the transistor to the vibration motor. Using the motor's sad thread and the remaining (bent) transistor lead, solder the two together.
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3) couple the resistor and the machinery to the negative connector. Solder both the resistor's free purpose and the motor's red thread to the negative connector above the bottom of the battery compartment.
- Remember, the negative connector is the one no attached to the first battery compartment thread you soldered.
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4) stick the ball bearings to the bottom of the battery compartment. How you locality these is up to you, besides you'll most apt wish to stick a ball bearing above both the left and right aspect of the machinery and then adapt the third one wherever you can.
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5) cover the photoresistor's surface. employ a small sheet of electric tape to cover the even piece of the photoresistor's head. This will block the robot from activating although instantly although you locality the battery.
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6) locality the battery at its slot. raise the clamp above peak of the battery compartment, then slip at the money prison battery and free the clamp.
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7) become above your robot. locality the robot above a flat, well-lit surface, then inspire the sheet of tape from the photoresistor. The robot to festival vibrating almost the surface.
- Since the photoresistor is sensitive to flare at normal (not impartial sunlight), you'll wish to cover the photoresistor when no using the robot.
