Build a Robot at Home

Creating a robot at home may seem a significantly difficult feat, but such a machine is achievable with only a few spare parts and a couple of technical accessories. With a couple of motors in hand and a controller and receiver, a working robot can be constructed with the help of a wired nickel cadmium battery.

Things You'll Need

• Receiver
• Battery
• Servos (2)
• Power drill
• Screwdriver/screws
• Velcro (2)
• Twisty tie

Instructions

1. Search around for old RC car parts. Take an old RC car and strip it down to the wheel base, discarding of unnecessary plastic parts of the car. Or, salvage a basic wheel base (four wheels) from another device. Reusing existing materials is always recommended.

2. Take a power drill and two small holes around the perimeter of the base, one on each side near the wheels.

3. Acquire two servos, or motors, and a receiver and a four or six degree controller. The degrees of the controller refer to the degrees of movement allowed by the device. Also, obtain a nickel cadmium battery for use in your robot.

4. Attach the two servos to the holes on the perimeter of the base. Screw them in using a screwdriver. Make sure they are tight in place.

5. Use a piece of velcro and secure it to the base of your robot. Flip the base over and secure a piece of velcro to the other side.

6. Fasten the battery to the servos side of the base, and the receiver to the other.

7. Connect the components to the receiver. There are small channels on the end of the receiver. The two servos should be placed in either channel one or two of the end of the receiver. The battery should be wired to the channel of the receiver on the other side, away from the servos.

8. Add whatever stylistic pieces to the base that you desire. Give your robot personality. Consider also adding a weapon of sorts if you desire a combat robot. A battering ram mounted to the base that consists of either wood or metal is the easiest weapon to affix to your robot. However, a saw or cutting device is also a feasible weapon to add to the mix.

9. Fix up any loose wires. There may be a number of dangling wires that hang from the base of the robot due to the connections made between the receiver and the two servos and the battery. Use a twisty tie or some other convenient means to tie up the wires and keep them from interfering with the functioning of the machine.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish