Although we think of metal androids when people talk about robots, the most widespread type of robot we have today are the toy robot cars. These are operated by radio signals and can move as if they were intelligent.

Automating mechanical devices is what robotics is all about

Robotics is responsible for the closing and opening of your cd-rom drive. You press a button and a signal is sent to your cpu. The cpu then commands the device managing the cd tray of your computer to open or shut, as the case may be.

The same method may be used to open and shut doors. Anything that requires transferring objects from one spot to another may also utilize the principle that servos use.

Servos

The cheapest way to create a simple robotics toy is to use a servo or several servos. These are gadgets that can rotate up to specified maximum angle of rotation. They are preprogrammed with 3 circuits and can swing forward, to the middle and backward. By attaching a metal arm to this gadget, you can make the arm to swing, as if on its own. It is often used to move robot cars. But for that purpose the angle of rotation will have to be adjusted to the full 360 degrees.

Gear Motors

A servo is pre-programmed and its logic is typically limited to 3 circuits. That is why the movement produced by a servo may be awkward. Instead of using a servo, other people will opt to buy gear motors which they themselves can program to move as they like.

Others will take a servo apart and redo the circuitry.

The motor makes the robotics wheels turn

A robot car moves forward and backward, depending on which direction its motors are turning uniformly. Left and right turns are made by making corresponding motors to spin at different rates. A right turn results if the left motor is left to run normally and the right motor is slowed down. A steep right turn will result if the right motor is stopped completely. By working with difference in rotation speed between two corresponding motors you can maneuver the car in any direction.

Getting the correct supply of power for robotics cars

For greater economy, use rechargeables to power your robot car. Otherwise, you will spend a fortune in purchasing new batteries each time they are discharged. That can happen often. You will also need a voltage regulator to maintain the power reaching the brain of the robot car at 5 volts. Otherwise, your processor is in constant danger of burning up.

Alerting the robotics car about obstacles

The robot car should know enough to avoid obstacles in the road. The easiest thing to use for this are infra-red sensors.

The board for the circuits

A solderless board is the best to use for your circuitry. You don’t solder anything on them and therefore, redoing the circuits won’t be any trouble. Because you can’t expect to get everything perfect with your robot car during your first try, you need that kind of versatility.

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Author Bio: Madeline Binder’s passion is to assist each student to have a successful learning experience when doing science fair projects. Whether a child uses a science fair projects kits, student microscopes or household items, learning the process can be applied to life.

Category: Education
Keywords: diy robot,diy robot cars,robot cars basics