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Hi! I really want to build a robot but im not all that rich :lol:
I was hoping someone could tell me how to build a simple and cheap robot as this will be my first robot.
I will add weapons and other things later.Also,Im 16 so I only have simple tools (screwdrivers,plyers,soldering iron etc)
so welding is out of the question :sad:
Thanks,whoever helps me :wink:
Get some MDF wood plates, some cordless drills for the motors, and a cheap 40Mhz FM transmitter and receiver with 2 servos. Find a wiring scheme to use 4 microswitches and relays to forward and reverse the motors and use the batteries from the cordless drills to power it all. make sure you use failsafes for the radio channels.
Hope this helps.
Look through the Forum.
Click on Featherweights in the Bot building hints and tips menu on the left.
There are many threads for you to browse.
Thanks guys :) But I dont know much about servos and micro switches :S
Then learn about them.
Where can I learn about them? Also, what is the lowest powered drill motor I should use? I have found some for £10 but dont know if thay are strong enough.
Thanks
Where are you from? It might be best to visit a live event. You get the chance to see the robots and ask as many questions to roboteers as you want.
England :D
Im 16 tho and doubt anyone will take me as Im the only one who seems to b intersted in it :sad:
Id love to go though :) Im asking questions to roboteers now ;)
Do you know what the lowest powered drill motor I should use is?
Also,Il check the site and see when the latest live event is ;) Id like to participate too when I finish this bot :)
Think of servos as a litte finger you can operate from a distance, and micro-switches as a doorbell.
you dont need a lot of force to push in the doorbell, just enough to activate it. Any standard servo will do that easy.
From our Australian collegues:
http://www.robowars.org/wikka/MicroSwitchinghttp://www.robowars.org/wikka/MicroSwitching
I Think Dave Was Asking What Part Of England?? (Right Dave??):)
Regards
Kenny
(Need New Chassis :))
Im beggining to understand this now. Do you have a picture of how everything should be wired up/connected together?
Also,whats the minimum power of drill I should use for the bot?
Generic 12v or 14.4v cordless drills from Argos, B&Q etc will be fine. If you look around, some chain store or other will be selling them for £10 or so each. Better yet get down the car boot sales and pick some up there- my team-mate Woody seems to be able to find almost everything to build a robot down the car boots...
All low cost drill motors (exc. 6v or thereabouts sizes) provide virtually the same power output.
One source for pre-stripped drill motors ideal for robot use is my store http://www.gimsonrobotics.comhttp://www.gimsonrobotics.com
http://www.micro-maul.co.uk/images/howtofeather.jpgIve illustrated a basic robot wiring diagram here. Often The secondary (reciever) battery is often not needed as many speed controllers will take a small amount of power from the main battery to supply the reciever.
Are electric screwdriver motors not good/fast/powerfull enough? becuse I found some for £5 :p.Aswell, If I do buy from a carboot,then the motors wont be the same (brand,type,power etc.) so that wont be an option will it?
Nice shop btw.I might buy a couple of motors from you. Maybe you could make a special offer for me...:lol:
electric screwdrivers tend to have smaller motors, and all plastic gearboxes.. I started a feather with 8 of them years ago, as Payless were selling them for £2.99... Buuut sadly they just couldnt make the full 12kg move ...
go for a couple of budget 12v drill jobs
Ok,thanks :)
As Leo van Miert said,I will need a cheap 40Mhz FM transmitter and receiver with 2 servos. Do any of you have any links to some that are compatable with each other? And they should be cheap of course. Ive been searching and have found so unbelivably cheap ones but,since I dont know about these thing,dont know if it will work in my robot.
http://www.hobbystores.co.uk/asp/FS_blank.asp?frame=http://www.hobbystores.co.uk/asp/search.asp?categoryid=050-050-060&OrderBy=ItemId&selectedtab=050http://www.hobbystores.co.uk/asp/FS_...bystores.co.uk /asp/search.asp?categoryid=050-050-060&OrderBy=ItemId&selectedtab=050
If you go to http://www.technobots.co.ukwww.technobots.co.uk you can buy a 40 40Mhz AM (not FM) transmitter and receiver with 2 servos for £37. It comes complete with a set of crystals, a receiver battery holder and a wiring harness with a plug for the receiver, an on/off switch and a plug for the battery case. All you need to do is fill it up with AA batteries and turn it on.
Should you ever want to use an active weapon on yout robot and not just drive around, then it is advisable not to use a 2 channel radio like John suggests, but to get at least a 3 channel one. It will cost you slightly more, but in the end you save money because you wont have to buy another set if you want to do more than just drive.
btw, I have a servo/microswitch/relay motor control diagram for you, unfortunatly my server is going to be down for several weeks so i dont have a way of putting it on line. I could email it to you.
Ok.I will get a 3 channel radio ;) And please email me the diagram. My emails HellsPlumber@hotmail.com :)
The DIY chain Homebase currently have their 9.6 volt cordless drills on sale for 8 pounds each and you get a battery and a charger with the drill. So for 16 pounds you have motors and betteries for your robot. Commercial drill batteries are not very good quiality but they are more than adequate to get you going and will even get you through a 5 minute fight (as they did for me last weekend).
To use the drill as a motor you will need to remove the chuck. Open it as wide as it goes and unscrew the screw that is securing it to the shaft. It is a left hand screw so to unscrew it you turn as if you were tightening it. DONT LOSE THE SCREW. Then unscrew the chuck. It will probably need a few sharp taps to get it started.
You will be left with a 3/8 UNF threaded shaft coming out of the drill. You attach you wheels to that.
Thanks,Im using two 12V drills from Argos. Is opening those just the same?
yep
they are all pretty similar
most drills have a slip clutch built into the gearbox, and youll find that theres a bunch of holes in the end of the gearbox , some ball bearing held in place with springs, and stuff... dump all that and tap a 5mm bolt into a couple of the holes until it just touches the metal gear ring inside... this stops the gearbox cage from just spinning...
Im sure someone has a natty diagram of this explaining better that I just did.
Ok.Thanks. :)