Designing a robot

It all started with a tweet

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Published: Updated:

Design a robot in three easy steps:

mu-ha-ha 🤣 In reality you need to overcome a little bit more steps.

The look and shape

In this light I put on the first place the functional capabilities of the thing you want to build.

  • Does it move? Mechanical tracks, or wheels, or legs? But keep in mind that even one vibration motor can move in complex trajectories.
  • Inside or outside? It needs a battery.
  • How complex its movements in the space? Just moving or also make interactions with the world: drawing, grab things? Extra servomotors. Inspiration: rolling spider
  • What obstacles it needs to conquer? Lidar or ultrasonic sensors.
  • Flat floor and walls and doors? Climb stairs? Think about adding more legs for stability like hexapod and gyro sensor.
  • Jump on the desk and from it? Fly like a butterfly? Probably you are building a drone now.
  • Should it collect information? Add sensors

It worth looking through popular designs. I started a research about appearance design in order to understand how to make it look cute or evil.

Hardware components

To design a printed circuit board you will need to learn at least some basics of CAD software like Eagle, Fusion 360, KiCAD. Here is mine notes: PCB design 101

Modular design dictates to find a way to put the boards together. For example with castellated mount holes.

Prototype

Before really doing version 1 I plan to look closer into targeting it as a board for making Arduino-based drone and flexible for constructor kit purposes.

Many other things get postponed to version 2.

Planning next: eco-friendly robot

See also

Tiny4WD

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