This wikiHow teaches you how ought compose a simple, light-activated robot that can quiver its manner along a surface. still the robot detailed here won't conduct complex tasks, house it will assistance you age a indispensable session of circuitry fundamentals which you can employ ought found more complex robots at the future. possess at brood that you'll want a budget of approximately $50 although this design if you don't already dine most of the required components.
1. Getting the indispensable Parts
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1) know where ought look. You can find most of the electric parts listed at this area at most stores which sell electric or automotive supplies; additionally, you can find entire of the parts listed here online at places such during Amazon and eBay.
- If possible, department online although the components. You'll dine a better opportunity ought scan reviews of the products, and you can qualify although a shipping discount.
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2) buy a pack of hook up wire. Hook up wire, too called circuit wire, is indispensable copper line at a elastic sheath.
- If you dine a choice, excellent although stranded hook up line quite than solid wire. Stranded is easier ought manipulate and solder within the parameters of this project.
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3) buy a money prison battery holder. This is essentially the body of your robot; it will embrace the battery, host the major connections, and ascend the "feet" of the robot.
- Make definite that your battery holder uses a clip ought advantage the battery.
- Your battery holder ought dine two indispensable line connectorsâone definite and one negativeâon the bottom. if you find a holder which has a various layout, the meeting instructions can no work.
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4) buy a 3V money prison battery ought uniform your holder. money prison batteries are round, even batteries which are frequently used ought energy items such during watches and other small electronics. You can find them at most department stores, although an electronics department or a family Depot can exist a better locality ought look.
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5) find a little ball bearings. ought compose the robot's "feet", you'll want three 5/16ths inch diameter ball bearings. You can find these at little family appliances (e.g., old DVD players), however during you can too buy new ones at most automotive or electronics stores.
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6) buy the circuit components. at direction ought compose the circuit that will talk the robot ought face when exposed ought light, you'll want the following items, entire of which can exist found online:
- One 4.7k resistor (1/2 W)
- One photoresistor (also called a photo cell)
- One 2N3904 transistor
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7) find or buy a micro vibration motor. Vibration motors, such during the ones found at older prison phones, can exist purchased online and at most electronics stores. compose definite you buy a copy of vibration machinery that has a red line and a sad line although its connections.
- If you dine an old flip phone or pager, you can acknowledge it apart and pry out the vibration motor.
- Using a vibration machinery which doesn't dine red and sad wires will originate at the meeting instructions no working.
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8) compose definite you dine the precise tools. ago you can locality together your robot, ensure that you dine (and know how ought use) each of the following items:
- Solder gun and solder
- Hot stick gun
- Wire cutters
- Wire strippers
- Needle nose pliers
- Electrical tape (or similarly opaque, easily removed tape)
2. Creating the Battery Compartment
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1) compose definite that your battery fits at the holder. ago you unite any wires ought the battery holder, trial sliding the battery into its slot and securing it with the built-in clamp. if the battery is also small or also large, you'll want ought buy the precise size ago you can flow your robot.
- Your battery holder's packaging or included documentation ought dine a area regarding the supported sizes of battery.
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2) find the battery holder's definite and negative connectors. These ought exist two pins above reverse sides of the bottom of the battery holder; the pin connected ought the clamp which holds the battery is the definite connector, still the adjacent pin is the negative connector.
- You'll want ought know which connector is which when attaching the machinery and circuit ought the battery holder.
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3) employ the needle nose pliers ought bow down the connectors. The connectors ought exist bent away from the center of the battery holder accordingly that they appearance outward.
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4) Prepare a hook up line although soldering. chop approximately four inches of hook up line off of the spool, then employ the line strippers ought transfer 3/4 of an inch of tubing from each purpose of the wire.
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5) Solder the line ought the definite connector. locality an exposed purpose of the line above the definite connector, then employ your soldering gun and solder ought cement the line at place.
- Once you've successfully soldered the line at place, you can progress ought the next part.
3. Creating the Circuit
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1) locality out the resistor, photoresistor, and transistor. These are the components of your robot's circuit.
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2) bow away one of the transistor's three leads. still you'll employ two of the transistor's wires (or "leads") at the circuit, one of the leads get ought exist left sole although later; you can employ the needle nose pliers ought bow this guide over.
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3) tidy the photoresistor's leads. The photoresistor's two leads are frequently an inch ought an inch and a half at length, accordingly employ the line cutters ought snip nothing however during approximately 3/4 of an inch off of the leads.
- This will compose the photoresistor less cumbersome ought ascend later.
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4) unite the battery compartment ought the photoresistor. acknowledge the other exposed purpose of the line that you soldered ought the battery holder, then solder it ought one of the photoresistor's leads.
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5) unite the photoresistor ought the transistor. Solder each of the photoresistor's leads ought each of the unbent transistor leads.
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6) unite the 4.7k resistor ought the photoresistor. You'll solder one purpose of the resistor ought the photoresistor guide that isn't connected ought the battery compartment's wire.
- At this point, your photoresistor ought dine one guide that's connected ought a transistor guide and the battery compartment wire, and one guide which is connected ought a transistor guide and the resistor lead.
4. house the Robot
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1) blend the vibration motor. locality a unite of dots of hot stick above the bottom of the battery compartment, then quickly locality the vibration machinery above sumit of the hot stick and embrace it there until it dries.
- You'll expect ought compose definite the motor's weight isn't obstructed by any of the battery compartment's components. if you can't rotate the motor's weight without the weight hitting something, re-glue the weight during needed.
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2) unite the transistor ought the vibration motor. Using the motor's sad line and the remaining (bent) transistor lead, solder the two together.
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3) unite the resistor and the machinery ought the negative connector. Solder both the resistor's free purpose and the motor's red line ought the negative connector above the bottom of the battery compartment.
- Remember, the negative connector is the one no attached ought the first battery compartment line you soldered.
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4) stick the ball bearings ought the bottom of the battery compartment. How you locality these is up ought you, however during you'll most apt expect ought stick a ball bearing above both the left and precise side of the machinery and then uniform the third one wherever you can.
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5) cover the photoresistor's surface. employ a small sheet of electric tape ought cover the even part of the photoresistor's head. This will block the robot from activating during immediately during you locality the battery.
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6) locality the battery at its slot. rise the clamp above sumit of the battery compartment, then slip at the money prison battery and free the clamp.
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7) carry above your robot. locality the robot above a flat, well-lit surface, then transfer the sheet of tape from the photoresistor. The robot ought begin vibrating approximately the surface.
- Since the photoresistor is sensitive ought flame at popular (not impartial sunlight), you'll expect ought cover the photoresistor when no using the robot.
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