What's the easiest way to make a robot out of a phone? Useful resources for creating a robot with your own hands.
You can make a robot of any size and shape from any available means - all you need is some simple tools and imagination. For example, you can make a real robot from an ordinary mobile phone. To work you need a mobile phone, a strong metal wire (it can be replaced with paper clips) different sizes), sponge. All you need is a soldering iron and pliers. Before you turn your phone into a robot, you need to straighten the large paper clips. They will be needed when making a frame to hold the mobile phone body. It should match the shape of the phone. You can also use wire. The paper clips (wire) are cut. For greater convenience, one end of the paperclip should be inserted into a sponge prepared in advance. Then both hands remain free. The excess part of the paperclip is cut off.
When all parts of the holding frame are ready, they must be attached to each other. Since making a large robot is quite difficult, you can first make a medium-sized model. When the frame is ready, you can solder pieces of wire to it, which will be the legs of the robot. You can complicate the model a little and make a real origami toy. In this case, you will also need paper. How to make an origami robot so that it moves? It will be necessary to build a ready-made wire frame into it and equip it with a motor from a mobile phone or place the phone in it, having previously set it to vibration mode. When a call comes in, the vibrating device will make the robot move. You can attach parts to the frame: if you solder whiskers to it, you will get a robot beetle. You can even attach wings. True, the toy will not be able to fly, since making a flying robot is much more difficult. But a homemade toy can move slowly and even move its antennae or wings.
When making a robot from a phone, you can add other materials and available tools. The use of plasticine gives a lot of scope for imagination. You can stick it around a wire frame and get a robot of any kind, color and shape. Before making a robot from plasticine, the material must be kneaded until it becomes a soft mass. Making such a toy will especially appeal to kids who love to tinker with plasticine. Older children will be interested in making a robot model using a motor from mobile phone: using it, you can make an original BEAM robot. But when using a motor, you must remember that it is driven by an eccentric, and if the motor is not removed from the motor shaft, the robot’s movements will be chaotic.
Nowadays, few people remember, unfortunately, that in 2005 there were the Chemical Brothers and they had a wonderful video - Believe, where a robotic hand chased the hero of the video around the city.
Then I had a dream. Unrealistic at that time, because I didn’t have the slightest idea about electronics. But I wanted to believe - believe. 10 years have passed, and just yesterday I managed to assemble my own robotic arm for the first time, put it into operation, then break it, fix it, and put it back into operation, and along the way, find friends and gain confidence in my own abilities.
Attention, there are spoilers below the cut!
It all started with (hello, Master Keith, and thank you for allowing me to write on your blog!), which was almost immediately found and selected after this article on Habré. The website says that even an 8-year-old child can assemble a robot - why am I any worse? I'm just trying my hand at it in the same way.
At first there was paranoia
As a true paranoid, I will immediately express the concerns that I initially had regarding the designer. In my childhood, first there were good Soviet designers, then Chinese toys that crumbled in my hands... and then my childhood ended :(Therefore, from what remained in the memory of toys was:
- Will the plastic break and crumble in your hands?
- Will the parts fit loosely?
- Will the set not contain all the parts?
- Will the assembled structure be fragile and short-lived?
- Some parts will have to be finished with a file.
- And some of the parts simply won’t be in the set
- And another part will not work initially, it will have to be changed
The details of the designer not only fit together perfectly, but also the fact that the details are almost impossible to confuse. True, with German pedantry creators set aside exactly as many screws as needed, therefore, it is undesirable to lose screws on the floor or confuse “which goes where” when assembling the robot.
Specifications:
Length: 228 mm
Height: 380 mm
Width: 160 mm
Assembly weight: 658 gr.
Nutrition: 4 D batteries
Weight of objects lifted: up to 100 g
Backlight: 1 LED
Control type: wired remote control
Estimated build time: 6 hours
Movement: 5 brushed motors
Protection of the structure when moving: ratchet
Mobility:
Capture mechanism: 0-1,77""
Wrist movement: within 120 degrees
Elbow movement: within 300 degrees
Shoulder movement: within 180 degrees
Rotation on the platform: within 270 degrees
You will need:
- extra long pliers (you can't do without them)
- side cutters (can be replaced with a paper knife, scissors)
- crosshead screwdriver
- 4 D batteries
Important! About small details
Speaking of “cogs”. If you have encountered similar problem, and you know how to make the assembly even more convenient - welcome in the comments. For now, I'll share my experience.Bolts and screws that are identical in function, but different in length, are quite clearly stated in the instructions, for example, in the middle photo below we see bolts P11 and P13. Or maybe P14 - well, that is, again, I'm confusing them again. =)
You can distinguish them: the instructions indicate which one is how many millimeters. But, firstly, you won’t sit with a caliper (especially if you are 8 years old and/or you simply don’t have one), and, secondly, in the end you can only distinguish them if you put them next to each other, which may not happen right away came to mind (didn't occur to me, hehe).
Therefore, I’ll warn you in advance if you decide to build this or a similar robot yourself, here’s a hint:
- or take a closer look at the fastening elements in advance;
- or buy yourself more small screws, self-tapping screws and bolts so as not to worry.
Also, never throw anything away until you have finished assembling. In the bottom photo in the middle, between two parts from the body of the robot’s “head” there is a small ring that almost went into the trash along with other “scraps”. And this, by the way, is a holder for an LED flashlight in the “head” of the gripping mechanism.
Build process
The robot comes with instructions without unnecessary words- only images and clearly cataloged and labeled parts.The parts are quite easy to bite off and do not require cleaning, but I liked the idea of processing each part with a cardboard knife and scissors, although this is not necessary.
The build begins with four of the five included motors, which are a real pleasure to assemble: I just love gear mechanisms.
We found the motors neatly packaged and “sticking” to each other - get ready to answer the child’s question about why commutator motors are magnetic (you can immediately in the comments! :)
Important: in 3 out of 5 motor housings you need recess the nuts on the sides- in the future we will place the bodies on them when assembling the arm. Side nuts are not needed only in the motor, which will form the basis of the platform, but in order not to remember later which body goes where, it is better to bury the nuts in each of the four yellow bodies at once. Only for this operation you will need pliers; they will not be needed later.
After about 30-40 minutes, each of the 4 motors was equipped with its own gear mechanism and housing. Putting everything together is no more difficult than putting together Kinder Surprise in childhood, only much more interesting. Question for care based on the photo above: three of the four output gears are black, where is the white one? Blue and black wires should come out of its body. It’s all in the instructions, but I think it’s worth paying attention to it again.
After you have all the motors in your hands, except for the “head” one, you will begin assembling the platform on which our robot will stand. It was at this stage that I realized that I had to be more thoughtful with screws and screws: as you can see in the photo above, I didn’t have enough two screws for fastening the motors together using the side nuts - they were already screwed into the depth of the already assembled platform. I had to improvise.
Once the platform and main part of the arm are assembled, the instructions will prompt you to move on to assembling the gripper mechanism, which is full of small parts and moving parts - the fun part!
But, I must say that this is where the spoilers will end and the video will begin, since I had to go to a meeting with a friend and had to take the robot with me, which I couldn’t finish in time.
How to become the life of the party with the help of a robot
Easily! When we continued assembling together, it became clear: to assemble the robot yourself - Very Nice. Working on a design together is doubly pleasant. Therefore, I can confidently recommend this set for those who do not want to sit in a cafe having boring conversations, but want to see friends and have a good time. Moreover, it seems to me that team building with such a set - for example, assembly by two teams, for speed - is almost a win-win option.The robot came to life in our hands as soon as we finished assembling it. Unfortunately, I cannot convey our delight to you in words, but I think many here will understand me. When a structure that you assembled yourself suddenly begins to live a full life - it’s a thrill!
We realized that we were terribly hungry and went to eat. It wasn't far to go, so we carried the robot in our hands. And then another pleasant surprise awaited us: robotics is not only exciting. It also brings people closer together. As soon as we sat down at the table, we were surrounded by people who wanted to get to know the robot and build one for themselves. Most of all, the kids liked to greet the robot “by the tentacles,” because it really behaves like it’s alive, and, first of all, it’s a hand! In a word, the basic principles of animatronics were mastered intuitively by users. This is what it looked like:
Troubleshooting
Upon returning home he was waiting for me an unpleasant surprise, and it’s good that it happened before the publication of this review, because now we’ll immediately discuss troubleshooting.Having decided to try to move the arm through the maximum amplitude, we managed to achieve a characteristic crackling sound and failure of the functionality of the motor mechanism in the elbow. At first this upset me: well, it’s a new toy, just assembled, and it no longer works.
But then it dawned on me: if you just collected it yourself, what was the point? =) I know very well the set of gears inside the case, and to understand whether the motor itself is broken, or whether the case was simply not secured well enough, you can load it without removing the motor from the board and see if the clicking continues.
This is where I managed to feel hereby robo-master!
Having carefully disassembled the “elbow joint”, it was possible to determine that without load the motor runs smoothly. The housing came apart, one of the screws fell inside (because it was magnetized by the motor), and if we had continued operation, the gears would have been damaged - when disassembled, a characteristic “powder” of worn-out plastic was found on them.
It is very convenient that the robot did not have to be disassembled entirely. And it’s really cool that the breakdown occurred due to not entirely accurate assembly in this place, and not due to some factory difficulties: they were not found in my kit at all.
Advice: For the first time after assembly, keep a screwdriver and pliers at hand - they may come in handy.
What can be taught thanks to this set?
Self confidence!Not only did I find common topics for communication with completely strangers, but I also managed to not only assemble, but also repair the toy myself! This means I have no doubt: everything will always be ok with my robot. And this is a very pleasant feeling when it comes to your favorite things.
We live in a world where we are terribly dependent on sellers, suppliers, service employees and the availability of free time and money. If you know how to do almost nothing, you will have to pay for everything, and most likely overpay. The ability to fix a toy yourself, because you know how every part of it works, is priceless. Let the child have such self-confidence.
Results
What I liked:- The robot, assembled according to the instructions, did not require debugging and started immediately
- The details are almost impossible to confuse
- Strict cataloging and availability of parts
- Instructions you don't need to read (images only)
- Absence of significant backlashes and gaps in structures
- Ease of assembly
- Ease of prevention and repair
- Last but not least: you assemble your toy yourself, Filipino children don’t work for you
- More fasteners, in stock
- Parts and spare parts for it so that they can be replaced if necessary
- More robots, different and complex
- Ideas on what can be improved/added/removed - in short, the game doesn’t end with assembly! I really want it to continue!
Assembling a robot from this construction set is no more difficult than a puzzle or Kinder Surprise, only the result is much larger and caused a storm of emotions in us and those around us. Great set, thanks
To create your own robot, you don’t have to graduate or read a ton. It is enough to use step by step instructions, which is offered by robotics masters on their websites. You can find a lot on the Internet useful information, dedicated to the development of autonomous robotic systems.
10 Resources for the Aspiring Roboticist
The information on the site allows you to independently create a robot with complex behavior. Here you can find example programs, diagrams, reference materials, ready-made examples, articles and photographs.
Dedicated to newcomers to the site separate section. The creators of the resource place considerable emphasis on microcontrollers, the development of universal boards for robotics, and soldering of microcircuits. You can also find here source codes programs and many articles with practical advice.
The website has a special course “Step by Step”, which describes in detail the process of creating the simplest BEAM robots, as well as automated systems based on AVR microcontrollers.
A site where aspiring robot creators can find all the necessary theoretical and practical information. Also posted here a large number of useful thematic articles, news updates and you can ask questions to experienced roboticists on the forum.
This resource is dedicated to a gradual immersion into the world of robot creation. It all starts with knowledge of Arduino, after which the novice developer is told about AVR microcontrollers and more modern ARM analogues. Detailed Descriptions and the diagrams very clearly explain how and what to do.
A site about how to make a BEAM robot with your own hands. There is a whole section dedicated to the basics, also given logic, examples, etc.
This resource very clearly describes how to create a robot yourself, where to start, what you need to know, where to look for information and the necessary parts. The service also contains a section with a blog, forum and news.
A huge live forum dedicated to the creation of robots. Topics for beginners are open here, interesting projects and ideas are discussed, microcontrollers are described, ready-made modules, electronics and mechanics. And most importantly, you can ask any question about robotics and receive a detailed answer from professionals.
The amateur roboticist's resource is primarily dedicated to his own project « Homemade robot" However, here you can find a lot of useful thematic articles, links to interesting sites, learn about the author’s achievements and discuss various design solutions.
The Arduino hardware platform is the most convenient for developing robotic systems. The information on the site allows you to quickly understand this environment, master the programming language and create several simple projects.
One author came up with a very interesting option on how you can make a robot using any mobile phone. For these purposes, you will need a minimum of materials and knowledge; there are also no restrictions in terms of appearance and design features. Anyone can make such a robot at home.
Materials and tools:
- any mobile phone with a working “vibrator”;
- thin steel wire or paper clips;
- sponge;
- soldering iron;
- pliers.
Manufacturing process:
Step one. Manufacturing of structural components
You need to take a wire or large paper clips and bend them along the contour of the mobile phone. The result should be a frame on which the phone can rest confidently. A flip phone is used as an example.
Step two. Frame assembly
When the components are ready, you can begin assembly. The frame is assembled by twisting the wire using pliers. For ease of cutting, you can use a sponge. The wire is simply stuck into the sponge and can then be easily cut to any size.
Step three. Attaching legs and testing the robot
The legs need to be soldered to the frame. Then, using a soldering iron, you need to make small balls at the ends of the robot’s legs; they are needed for the robot to slide along the surface. You can also simply gently bend the legs at the ends with pliers.
To make the robot more interesting, you can solder it a mustache and so on, here everything depends on your imagination.
Today we will tell you how to make a robot from available materials. The resulting “high-tech android,” although it will be small size and is unlikely to be able to help you with housework, but will certainly amuse both children and adults.
Necessary materials
In order to make a robot with your own hands, you do not need knowledge of nuclear physics. This can be done at home from ordinary materials that you always have on hand. So what we need:- 2 pieces of wire
- 1 motor
- 1 AA battery
- 3 push pins
- 2 pieces of foam board or similar material
- 2-3 heads of old toothbrushes or a few paper clips
1. Attach the battery to the motor
Using a glue gun, attach a piece of foam cardboard to the motor housing. Then we glue the battery to it.
At the very end of the destabilizer, drop a couple of drops of glue, or attach some decorative element - this will add individuality to our creation and increase the amplitude of its movements.
3. Legs
Now you need to equip the robot with lower limbs. If you use toothbrush heads for this, glue them to the bottom of the motor. You can use the same foam board as a layer.
5. Battery connection
Using a heat gun, glue the wire to one end of the battery. You can choose any of the two wires and either side of the battery - the polarity is in in this case does not play a role. If you're good at soldering, you can also use soldering instead of glue for this step.
6. Eyes
A pair of beads, which we attach with hot glue to one end of the battery, are quite suitable as the robot’s eyes. At this step, you can show your imagination and come up with appearance eye at your discretion.