Servo - August 2015

I had an Itch to Scratch.

I Needed to Build Something.

About five years ago, I was working at two different jobs in two different cities and had very little free time for my projects. Having a job and working is great, but for me I never stop thinking about making some new robot or toy to play with. In about mid February of 2010, I was aware of the upcoming RoboGames event that would be held in April. I got to looking at my “Obtainium” pile and noticed an empty 1.5 liter Heineken keg that I hadn't thrown out yet. Boy, I thought, that shape sure reminds me of a world famous astro-droid from another galaxy.

I grabbed that can, an old set of amplified computer speakers, and a 75 MHz Novak radio receiver. I then started looking for some tires and drive motors. I didn't have any that weren’t already in use. I looked up on a shelf and saw my little 4WD robot called EVA. For a moment, I thought, NO! You can't strip EVA for parts! EVA was actually a training aid I made so I could learn how to build and program autonomous robots using the Parallax BASIC Stamp 2 and various sensors. Plus, she had a pan and tilt wireless camera, a tele-operated mode, and a gripping arm that could retrieve 12 ounce drinks/cans from the refrigerator. It was a really hard decision to borrow her electronics and motors, so with a sightly heavy heart I decided to go for it.

There are many ways to begin a new robotic project. You can start with one of the many robotic kits that are available from venders such as Parallax, SparkFun, Adafruit, etc. You can do a lot of searching for raw materials, electronics, motors, controllers, and wheels, and then ponder what to do with them. A more modern approach may involve finding the parts you wish to use and then beginning your design by laying everything out using a CAD program, then eventually a milling machine, lathe, or even a 3D printer. Then, of course, there is the old school classic design method that involves collecting the various parts and sketching out your rough ideas with a pencil and a piece of paper. Personally, I usually start with that. In talking to my friend, Camp Peavy (Neato Robotics), he told me, "You can build a robot out of anything and do it very quickly if you use a lot of that magical material called Obtainium."

(Obtainium being any parts or materials you can “obtain” and re-purpose.) Of course, this may turn you into a bit of a pack rat since almost everything becomes re-usable again ...