Robot Hack Night

Have you never built a robot before and would like to build your first bot? Or maybe you've been building for a while and want to try a new technique or technology? Why not do so in a relaxed, friendly environment and the company of other robot builders?

This month's event will be a practical hardware hack night. Come along to the Skiff and build a robot in the company of other roboteers. You can build your bot by yourself or team up with your fellows into an awesome robot building force. Below is a list of projects that you can choose from, or alternatively you can bring your own project along for the evening. There will be some tools including screwdrivers, snips, pliers and soldering irons available for use, but it is recommended that you bring your own if you have them. The suggestions listed below have parts and tools lists associated with them so that you can ensure that you bring along all the bits you need.

You can come along and build as much or as little as you like. The only suggestion is that you try and choose something achievable in 4 hours so that you can go home with a warm, fuzzy robot related feeling in your belly.

Suggestions for projects:

Robot building with arduino tutorial

Steve has volunteered to do a tutorial with a simple, RC arduino robot with simple sensors that can be expanded upon in future. Futher details about the bot you will be building if you choose to do this tutorial can be found here. If you are interested in doing this tutorial, please contact Steve via the site, or email robotbrighton@googlemail.com. Parts will cost about £30. He will need to know in advance how many are interested in the tutorial to determine how much kit to buy.

Coat Hanger Walker

A simple, single motor walking BEAM robot. Ideal for absolute beginners and the parts will cost about £30

Instructions are here and you can find the parts in a kit here

Mousey the Junkbot

A light seeking wheeled robot made out of an old computer mouse. This is for slightly more experienced beginners and the kit costs about £20

Instructions are here and parts can be found here

DiscRover

Reprogrammable, micro-controller controlled wheeled bot made out of old CD's and is for experienced beginners.

You can find instructions in the online version of Absolute Beginners Guide to Building Robots here. The DiscRover is detailed in Chapter 9 - Project 3: Building a DiscRover

Solar Speeder

Solar powered wheeled robot.

Parts can and instructions can be bought here and will cost about £25.

Photopopper Photovore

A solar-powered, light-seeking, obstacle-avoiding robot.

Parts and instructions are available here and cost about £40.

Extras

You can find other Kits, Parts and Books for various robot projects at Total Robots.

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5 Comments

Comment by Bill Bigge on March 11, 2009 at 3:59pm

I should be able to make it and if I do I'll bring some bits'n'pieces from the lab

Comment by Lincoln on February 23, 2009 at 12:28pm

On the weekend, I was in the discount book shop on Western road. I am not sure of the name, but it is on from Churchill Square toward hove a block or two, on the left.

Anyway perhaps another poster can get a name. I the kids section down starts there are number of inexpensive building kits that have a lot of hackable parts (motors, tank tracks, metal contruction parts (mechano-like), wheels, thing to be used as robot bases, etc.).

I highly recommend looking to the discount toy and pound shops, if you are walking by, for hackable parts. A single construction kit in the store I mentioned above is going for £5 pounds and comes with parts that would cost £30+ from a robot supplier.

Perhaps someone with a camera phone can get in there and post what is on offer.

Comment by Emily Toop on February 20, 2009 at 4:58pm

Further information about the robot that Steve will be teaching us to build can be found at http://www.pinter75.com/robots/brbb.html

Comment by John Hother on February 18, 2009 at 9:44am

Happy to lend a hand in construction if that's helpful.

PS - I'm an engineer, which might come in handy.

Comment by Steve (Pinter75) on February 17, 2009 at 3:39pm

For anyone wanting to learn about starting with Arduino based bots, I will show you how. On the night you will make one of these bots:

I can orgainse getting all the bits and bobs needed.

You will get to know how to:
Program the Arduino and know it's I/O
Modify some hobby servos to do continuious rotation
Make some simple sensor triggers
Build a simple platform

At the end of the night you will have a cool bot that you can take away and experiment with as it is totally scaleable!

I will need to know numbers wating to do this, as I will have to get supplies. Later on I will make a shopping list of the bits and where to get them.