I want to start building robots as a hobby. Can anyone give me any advice or suggestions on…?

4 Comments

1. nutritive says:

   August 27, 2010 at 6:50 am

   Sounds like you’re going the same route I did over 45 years ago, I’ll hit some of the highs and lows as a technohobbiest and a nobody inventor. Some of these other guys can fill in the blanks.

   1. Get a good soldering iron or gun, learn to use it passibly.
   2. Get a long, skinny flat tip screwdriver, the longer and skinner the better. Take a hacksaw to that screwdriver tip and saw out a 1/10 inch slot. You’re going to be using that screwdriver a lot to unsolder components–don’t buy one of those radio shack specials–they’re too big around to fit under the components.
   3. Get a ‘junk box’, the bigger the better. This is where you stash all your bigger electronic components that you’ll use for that Gork robot and everything else you invent. Smaller components such as resistors, transistors, capacitors, small swithes, etc you sort out (after you’ve made sure they work) and put in small containers or boxes: baby food jars, aroma candle jars, fish tackle–see through pastic–boxes, anything small and a lot of them with a lid or cover.
   4. Get a cheap, digital ‘multimeter’. You’re going to be using this a lot to make sure those electrical components still work. You can get a cheap meter multimeter for seven or eight dollars, I got a cheap digital multimeter for under 15 bucks on the internet. Learn to use it at least enough to do a ‘continuity’ test. What’s that?–you touch both ends of the resistor (or what ever it is you’re testing) if the display on the meter shows a reading then the component is not burnt in half on the inside where you can’t see it.
   5. Find a work space. We call it a work bench or test bench–any sturdy, run-down, rat chewed, table will do. Bigger is better.
   six. Now for the fun part. You remember that old tv, radio, computer, cell phone, button phone, toy with a motor, cassette player, etc? Well, run outside into the trash and get them before all those expensive components go to waste! RUN! You’re going to get to disassemble all of them…this is where you get all your parts from. (All parts, broken, scorched, burnt, RUSTED, badly chipped, (any chip on a transistor, resistor, capacitor and so on throw away) throw away). You got friends? They got throw away electronics–get that to.
   7. Figure a few months gathering up parts. As you disassemble them and test them, to make sure they work, you’re learning how to use that multimeter, and soldering iron more and more–it’s natural.
   8. Robots? Lots and lots of small motors, gears, pulleys, push buttons big and small, micro switches from out of a modern stereo. Pay attention also to recovering copper strips for battery poles, and anytype of stiff or soft wire (yes you’re going to recover the wire also) and get ready to save up a lot of small peices of flat metal plates and plastic. You might keep an eye toward unsoldering ‘small’ circuit boards completely and saving them for later use. Make sure you cleaned them well and be careful unsoldering them…15 seconds with a hot soldering iron will fry most circuit boards to where their unusable. Wheels from toys, tank treads, propellers (the interior of the robot might get hot, you’ll want that hot air blown out).

   This list could go on and on but I think you’ll get the idea. Just remember THROW NOTHING AWAY! until you field stripped it for parts. Everytime you do this, you SAVE money!

   BYE!
2. contat says:

   August 27, 2010 at 6:50 am

   http://www.hero2000robots.com/6955.html

   Kind of a support page – I guess they aren’t made anymore

   http://www.graymarkint.com/

   ah…..

   hey, cool
   http://www.graymarkint.com/newweb/newweb/Robot%20Kits%20and%20Books_page19.htm

   602A
   Blinky
   "Blinky" Pathfinder Robot

   * YOU DETERMINE ITS PATH
   * INFRARED EMITTER & DETECTOR
   * FOLLOWS LINES YOU MAKE
   * 2 MOTORS

   This amazing robot sees and follows a straight or curved path YOU make with a black marker or tape. Make the path as simple or complex as YOU want.

   The infrared emitter and light sensor circuit controls a servo feedback loop causing the motors to make course corrections; red and green LEDs blink to display changes in direction. Principles of electro-optics, analog & digital circuitry and more are covered in the 28 page Instruction Manual. Illustrated assembly instructions, many schematic & block diagrams, quiz and troubleshooting guide complete the book. Requires one 9V and two AA batteries (not included).

   Quantity @ 44.50 each

   https://mmm1107.verio-web.com/grayma/catalog/606a.htm
   606A
   Scrambler
   "Scrambler" All Terrain Robot

   * HIGH-TECH INFRARED BEAM
   * AVOIDS OBJECTS IN ITS PATH
   * WALKS OVER ROUGH TERRAIN
   * FUN TO WATCH
   * 2 MOTORS

   This 6-legged Robot walks in a straight line until it sees an object in its path. The Robot’s eye, a state-of-the-art infrared beam like those used in alarm system motion detectors, sees the object and alerts the motor control circuits which alter the Robot’s course to avoid the object.

   The BOOK discusses infrared beams, operational amplifiers, photodetectors, motor control theory and more. Illustrated assembly instructions, schematic and block diagrams, quiz and troubleshooting guide complete the Book. Requires one 9V and four AA batteries (not included).

   Quantity @ 44.50 each

   This is kind of like Heathkit! I am bookmarking it!
3. f100_supersabre says:

   August 27, 2010 at 6:50 am

   Building the robot is easy, the PROGRAMMING is NOT.

   Try the library for a "beginners" book on robotics.

   Suggest you START with a kit, as some are not expensive and you will learn the basics, THEN you can proceed to "scratch" building.
4. Billie Dee says:

   August 27, 2010 at 6:50 am

   Get a book on basic artificial intelligence (AI) to start with.