How to Build a Cheap Beginner Robots

You should use a new toothbrush to build your robot.

Learning how to build a robot sounds like an exhausting and expensive process, not only monetarily, but with regards to your time and energy as well. Luckily, a new style of hobby robotics called a "vibrobot" allows you to fuse pieces of junked electronics and scrap material together to make a cheap, entertaining robot in your very own home in a matter of minutes.

Things You'll Need

• New toothbrush
• Scissors
• Double-sided sticky tape
• Cell phone or pager motor
• 3-volt coin cell battery

Instructions

1. Cut the bristled head off the toothbrush with the scissors, setting the handle aside. Leave about 1/4-inch of the handle still attached to the bristled head.

2. Lay the head bristles side down, and stick a strip of two-sided adhesive tape on the flat top of the toothbrush head.

3. Place the little motor at the opposite end of the toothbrush head as the snipped-off handle, leaving the part of the motor that turns sticking over the edge of the toothbrush. Press down firmly to cement the motor to the adhesive tape.

4. Lay one of the motor's wires down flat against the sticky surface of the adhesive tape, near the snipped-off handle. Press down firmly to secure the wire in place.

5. Set the coin cell battery down on top of the taped-down wire, and press firmly. This will stick the battery down firmly, and complete half the circuit necessary to run the motor.

6. Bend the other wire down to contact the top of the battery. The motor will begin to vibrate the robot. The vibration, in turn, will bounce the robot rapidly along on its bristles, scooting it along like a robotic insect.

References

• Evil Mad Scientist: Bristlebot