Robot Builder

John Baichtal writes books about toys, tools, robots, and hobby electronics. He is the co-author of The Cult of LEGO (No Starch Press) and author of Hack This: 24 Incredible Hackerspace Projects from the DIY Movement; Basic Robot Building with LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0; and Arduino for Beginners (all from Que Publishing). Most recently he wrote Make: Lego and Arduino Projects for MAKE, collaborating with Adam Wolf and Matthew Beckler, and he is the author of the upcoming Que book, Building Your Own Drones: The Beginner’s Guide to UAVs and ROVs. He lives in Minneapolis, MN, with his wife and three children.

INTRODUCTION xvii

What’s in This Book? xvii

Chapter 1 You, Robot Builder 1

What Are Robots? 2

  Myths About Robots 4

  Types of Robots 4

Anatomy of a Robot 7

Safety 9

Build a Vibrobot 10

  Pizza Saver Vibrobot 11

  Computer Fan Buzzbot 15

Summary 19

Chapter 2 Robots of the World 21

Watercolor Bot 22

Sparki 23

OpenROV 24

Astro Droids 25

Drink-Making Unit 26

Mars Rover Replica 27

MindCub3r 28

Ball-Balancing Robot 29

LEGO Turing Machine 30

Sir Mix-a-Bot 31

Arc-O-Matic 32

Soft-Boiled Eggbot 33

Legonardo 34

Sisyphus 35

Orbital Rendersphere 36

Clash of the Fractions 37

Lava Lamp Centrifuge 38

Quakescape 39

InMoov 40

DIWire Bender 41

Plant-Watering Robot 42

Nerf Sentry Gun 43

Yellow Drum Machine 44

Pancake Bot 45

Balloon Bot 46

Piccolo: The Tiny CNC Bot 47

Xylophone Bot 48

Flyer-Distributing Robot 49

Flowerbot 50

CoolerBot 51

Summary 52

Chapter 3 Rolling Robots 53

All About Motors 54

  Choosing a Motor 55

Wheels 58

  Configuration 58

  Measurements 61

  Tires or Treads 61

Project: DIY Wheels 65

  Parts List 66

  Step-by-Steps 67

The Chassis 70

  Use a Pre-Made Chassis 70

  Make Your Own Chassis 71

  Use a Building Set 72

Powering Your Robot 72

  Batteries 73

  Solar Panels 74

  House Current 75

Project: Building a Rolling Robot 76

  Parts List 77

  Step-by-Steps 78

Summary 81

Chapter 4 Going Solar 83

How Do Solar Panels Work? 84

BEAM Robotics 85

Three Hobbyist-Friendly Solar Cells 86

  Flexible Film 86

  Glass and Silicon 87

  Plastic and Silicon 88

Prototyping Circuits 89

  How to Breadboard 90

  How to Solder 91

Using Solar Power to Charge Batteries 100

Project: DIY Solar Panel 101

  Parts List 102

  Step-by-Steps 103

Project: Making a Solar Spinner 106

  Parts List 107

  Step-by-Steps 107

Summary 109

Chapter 5 Controlling Your Robot 111

Autonomous 112

  Infrared 112

  Internet 113

  Radio Control 114

  Wireless 115

  Microcontroller/Microcomputer 116

Motor Control Options 117

  Adafruit Motor Shield 117

  Schmalzhaus EasyDriver 118

  Makeblock Me Motor Driver 118

Controlling a Robot with RC 119

  Transmitter 120

  Receiver 121

  Electronic Speed Controller 121

Project: Use an Arduino Uno to Control a Robot 123

  Parts List 123

  Step-by-Steps 125

  Programming the Arduino 127

Project Remix: Swapping Motor Boards 130

  Parts List 131

  Step-by-Steps 132

  Code 140

Summary 141

Chapter 6 Introduction to Programming 143

What Is Programming? 144

  Delay 144

  For 144

  If/Else 144

  Loops and Interrupts 145

  Switch/Case 145

  Variables 145

  While Loops 145

The Arduino IDE 146

The Blink Sketch 148

Finding Code Examples 149

Adapting Example Code 151

Simple Debugging Using the Serial Monitor 151

Programming and Robotics Bookshelf 152

Project: Adding an Ultrasonic Sensor to Your Robot 154

  Parts List 154

  Step-by-Steps 155

  Code 157

Summary 159

Chapter 7 Harnessing Infrared 161

Uses for Infrared Signals 162

Passive Versus Active IR 163

IR Remote Controls 165

  Adafruit Mini Remote Control 165

  Sparkfun Infrared Remote Control 166

  Makeblock Infrared Receiver and Remote Controller 166

    Mini Project: Discover Your Remote’s IR Codes 167

  Parts List 168

  Step-by-Steps 169

  Code 169

Project: Controlling a Robot with IR 169

  Parts List 169

  Step-by-Steps 170

  Code 171

Project: Dart Sentry 173

  Parts List 174

  Step-by-Steps 175

  Code 187

  Operating the Dart Sentry 189

Summary 189

Chapter 8 Building Sets 191

Uses for Building Sets 192

  Enclosures 192

  Gantries 193

  Chassis 194

  Hardware Mounts 195

  Furniture 196

Examples of Building Sets 197

  Vex Robotics Design System (Vexrobotics.com) 197

  LEGO Mindstorms and Technic Sets (Mindstorms.com) 198

  Actobotics Building System (Servocity.com) 199

  Makeblock (Makeblock.cc) 200

  MicroRax (Microrax.com) 200

  MakerBeam (Makerbeam.eu) 202

  Tamiya (Tamiyausa.com) 203

Choosing a Building Set 203

  Material 204

  Beams 205

  Motor Mounts 206

  Connector Plates 207

  Electronics 208

  Gears 208

     Wheels and Tank Treads 209

Customizing Building Sets 210

  Combining Building Sets 210

  Creating New Parts 214

Chassis Designs 216

  LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Chassis 216

  Step-by-Steps 217

  Makeblock Chassis 226

  Parts List 227

  Step-by-Steps 228

  Actobotics Chassis 234

  Parts List 234

  Step-by-Steps 236

Summary 245

Chapter 9 Robot-Builder’s Toolbox 247

Choose Your Toolbox 248

Size 248

Construction 249

  Metal 249

  Plastic 249

  Cloth 250

Subdividers 251

  Trays 251

  Compartments 252

Belly 252

Handle 253

Four Toolboxes 254

  Pelican 1460 Mobile Tool Chest 254

  Stack-On 39-Bin Drawer Cabinet 255

  Husky 41-inch 13-Drawer Tool Cabinet 256

  Craftsman 21-inch Toolbox 257

Tools 257

  Drivers and Wrenches 257

  Electronics 259

  Soldering 262

  Measurements 263

  Writing and Drawing Tools 264

  CNC Tools 265

  Woodworking Tools 266

  Attaching 267

  Cutting 269

  Cables 269

Introduction to CNC Tools 270

  Laser Cutter 101 270

  Anatomy 271

  Using the Laser Cutter 274

CNC Router 101 276

  Anatomy 277

  Using the CNC Router 279

3D Printer 101 280

  Anatomy 280

  Using the 3D Printer 282

Summary 282

Chapter 10 Manipulators 283

Types of Manipulators 284

  Universal Gripper 284

  Scoop 285

  Tentacle 286

  Pneumatic 287

  Pincer 288

  Humanoid Hand 288

  Electromagnet 289

  Claw 290

  Winch 291

  Pen 291

Commercial Manipulator Options 292

  Makeblock Strong Robot Gripper 292

  VEX Claw 293

  uFactory uArm 294

  Dagu Robotic Claw, MK II 294

Project: LEGO Pincer 296

  Parts List 296

  Step-by-Steps 298

Project: Laser-Cut Pincers 307

  Parts List 307

  Step-by-Steps 309

Project: Coffee Grounds Gripper 314

  Parts List 315

  Step-By-Steps 317

Summary 328

Chapter 11 Water Robots 329

Anatomy of a Water Robot 330

  Flotation 330

  Power 330

  Steering 331

  Propulsion 331

  Control 332

  Stabilization 332

Submersibles 332

Moisture 333

  Waterproof Enclosures 333

Project: Floating Fanbot 334

  Parts List 335

  Step-by-Steps 337

  Code 348

Summary 350

Chapter 12 Art Bots 351

Types of Art Bots 352

  V-plotter 352

  Vibration 352

  Plotter 353

  Eggbot 354

  Sand Plotter 355

  Car-Based 355

  Paint Pendulum 356

  Dot Matrix 357

Converting an Image to G-Code 358

  Converting a Line Drawing into G-Code 361

Project: Rolling ‘Riter 362

  Parts List 363

  Step-by-Steps 365

  Code 380

Summary 383

Glossary 385

Index 391

ONLINE (WWW.INFORMIT.COM/TITLE/9780789751492):

CHAPTER 13 Web-Interacting Robots 1

Types of Web-Interacting Robots 2

  Sniffers 2

  Autotweeters 2

  Telepresence 2

  Interactive Robots 2

  Home Automation 3

  Sensor Nets 3

Hardware 4

  Arduino Ethernet Shield 4

  Adafruit CC3000 Breakout 4

  Arduino Wi-Fi Shield 5

  Roving Networks WiFly 6

Microcomputers: Non-Arduino Solutions 7

  BeagleBone Black (beaglebone.org) 7

  Raspberry Pi (raspberrypi.org) 7

  pcDuino (pcduino.com) 7

  Arduino Yún (arduino.cc/en/main/ArduinoBoardYun) 7

Dart Texter 8

  Parts List 9

  Step-by-Steps 9

  Code 12

Summary 13

TOC, 9780789751492, 10/08/2014