How to Build a Small Robot

So you've been watching "Robot Wars," and thought you'd like to enter the fray? The problem is, most people don't have the time, money, or expertise to make a full-fledged battle bot. But you can start to develop those robot-building skills by starting out small (and I mean, small) and working your way up. So to start with the smallest, simplest, cheapest robot possible, I suggest building a Bristle Bot. Because it’s so small, it’s a very good starter robot that requires virtually no technical training and can be made of a few items that you probably have around the house. If you can build this robot, you've taken your first step toward robot fame and fortune.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Toothbrush with angled bristles
• Double-sided foam tape
• Watch battery
• Vibrator from an old pager or cell phone

1. Once you have liberated the vibrator from an old pager or cell phone, you’ll see that it has two wires that extend from it. Strip the last quarter of these wires of any plastic or rubber coating that they might have. They need to be stripped so you can connect them to the watch battery.

2. Next, cut off the head of the toothbrush so no handle remains. Then cut off a piece of the double-sided foam tape, remove the coating from both sides and adhere it to the back of the toothbrush head.

3. Place the vibrator on the back of the toothbrush head, secured to the tape. (Note: you can place it at either end, but I find that placing it at the end that would have been the tip of the toothbrush works best, as shown.)

4. Pick one of the exposed wires from the vibrator and stick it to the empty side of the tape so that you can place the battery on top of it to create a connection. Place the battery flat on top of the exposed wire (the battery should also, then, stick to the tape).

5. At this point you should have one exposed wire that is not touching the tape or the battery. Touch this wire to the top if the battery, and the vibrator should turn on.

6. At this point, I like to take another piece of the foam tape and adhere the other exposed wire to the battery. Once you have done this, place the bristle bot (bristles down) on a smooth flat surface and watch it skitter around and turn in circles.

Tips & Warnings

• Finding the vibrator in a cell phone or pager might be tricky. Sometimes it looks like a little watch battery with two wires coming from it, as shown in the picture. It may also be cylindrical. But it will always be somewhat heavy compared to other components its size.