Robotics

Making a robot can be an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s the perfect combination of creativity, engineering and problem solving. However, if you’re just getting started in robotics, it can also be overwhelming. To make things easier for those who are just starting out, we’ve put together some tips and tricks to help makers bring robots to life! From the basics of assembling your robot to software implementation, these pointers will give you everything you need to get started on your robotic adventure!

Telerobotic Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots

Just when you thought Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots couldn’t get any cooler, makers Zachery Shivers and Anne Flinchbaugh go ahead and add a bunch of servos, a custom controller board, and some fancy sensor-laden wireless watches from TI to allow you to control your robot remotely. As an entry to the Texas Instruments Co-op Design Challenge, the souped-up game uses sensor readings from a pair of Chronos watches worn by each opponent to control their respective robot.

Continue Reading Adam Flaherty
Sterylite6000, a shoebox robot

Sterylite6000, a shoebox robot

On Let’s Make Robots: This clever walking robot by George Collins of Sherman Oaks, CA, that uses a plastic shoebox as an enclosure. Sterylite6000 is a large and somewhat unusual robot. Originally it was designed to use only six servos. This worked resonably well, but did not get good ground clearance on the back legs. […]

Continue Reading John Baichtal
Simple Bots: Barreller

Simple Bots: Barreller

I love miniball bots and other types of ballbots where the electronics and mechanics are housed inside and the vehicle “navigates” by rolling around and bouncing off of stuff. Here’s the same basic idea, inside a cylinder (a clear paint can). It’s the Barreller, by Randy Sarafan. The way the continuous rotation servo is used […]

Continue Reading Gareth Branwyn

Bristle (broom) Bot

Bill Gurstelle had a broom-based Bristlebot at Maker Faire Austin, but I never saw it in action. This one was built by Gregg Horton. He has an Instructable that shows you how he did it. Seems like you could easily add some sort of bumpers or other obstacle avoidance rigging so that you wouldn’t need […]

Continue Reading Gareth Branwyn