| I enjoy building robots. Some robots I build are | | | | really neat parts to build a robot. All you need to do is |
| autonomous and some are remote controlled. The | | | | Google robot parts and you can find a lot of links to |
| autonomous robots are controlled by a microcontroller | | | | websites selling just what you need. If you are on a |
| while I use an R/C controller for the remotely controlled | | | | tight budget you can use the motors and wheels from |
| ones. | | | | a kids used remote controlled car. I have picked up |
| I started building robots many years ago when I was | | | | broken remote controlled toys from second hand |
| just starting my electronics education. After attending | | | | stores and hacked out the motors and wheels. |
| class, spending time in the lab and studying at home, I | | | | Next I mounted two HB-25 motor controllers to the |
| felt like I was just not learning that much. I had a | | | | rear of the robot. I got these HB-25's from an Internet |
| professor recommend I pick up some spare parts, go | | | | company named Parallax, Inc. These are a great |
| home and experiment with putting together electronic | | | | motor controller, I can control them directly from the |
| circuits that actually did something. Up to this point in | | | | remote control receiver and they will handle the |
| school we simply followed the standard plan. The | | | | current required by my motors. |
| standard plan was this - we had a text book, we | | | | Next, I put the remote control receiver in the box and |
| would listen to a lecture about chapter whatever, we | | | | installed an on/off switch. I then simply installed the wire |
| would then build a lab using a component that was | | | | jumpers between the receiver and HB-25's and wired |
| used in that particular chapter, and then finish the | | | | in the battery. Now power up the robot and turn on |
| chapter with a test about that chapter. We never | | | | the transmitter and you should be ready to roll. |
| really built anything that would do something. This is | | | | I put this together in about 4 hours and am having a |
| when I built my first robot. | | | | good time playing with it. My plans are to take this |
| Now I'm going to describe a remote controlled robot I | | | | robot, remove the receiver and install a microcontroller |
| am currently working on. I started with a plastic hobby | | | | and convert it to an autonomous robot. I have already |
| box available from Radio Shack. I then mounted four | | | | placed an ultrasonic sensor mounted atop a servo. |
| geared DC motors to the bottom and installed the off | | | | When I get around to that I will post a new article |
| road wheels. I really like these geared DC motors. I got | | | | explaining this process. |
| them from Tamiya USA. Tamiya USA has a lot of | | | | |