Light-Seeking Robot

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Contributors: Shawn Hymel
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Hardware Assembly

To begin, make sure that your breadboard and Arduino are secured to the baseplate. Complete instructions for attaching both can be found here.

Attaching Arduino to base plate

Using scissors, cut three strips of Dual Lock that are 1.25 inches (3.2cm) long and 1 inch (2.5cm) wide. Remove the adhesive backing, and attach two pieces to the corners under the baseplate and a third in the center.

Attaching dual lock to robot base plate

Cut two more strips that are 1.25 inches (3.175cm) long and ¾ inch (1.9cm) wide. Remove the adhesive backing, and attach the strips to the two motors. Be sure that your motors are mirror images of each other when you attach the Dual Lock.

Attach dual lock to motors

Press the motors to the baseplate, connecting the two Dual Lock surfaces. Try to get the motors as straight as possible so your robot will drive straight.

Attach motors to robot base

The bottom of your baseplate should look like the image below. Remember that the two motors should be mirror images of each other.

Check your work

Note: The direction in which the motor wires face is arbitrary. Having them face out makes the circuit easier to build. Having them face in makes the circuit more robust against wires getting ripped out.

Attach the wheels by sliding them onto the plastic shafts on the gearmotor. The shaft is flat on one side, as is the wheel coupler. Align the two, and then press to fit the wheel onto the shaft.

Put wheels on motors

Clip the binder clip onto the back end of the robot. This will act as a caster as the robot drives around.

Use a binder clip as a caster

Cut a piece of Dual Lock that is about 1.25 inch x 1 inch (3.2cm x 2.5cm). Remove the adhesive backing and attach it to the back of the battery holder.

Attach dual lock to the battery pack

Press the battery holder to the baseplate so that the two pieces of Dual Lock snap together. Insert the batteries into the holder if you have not done so already. Remember that batteries are polarized and can only go in one way.

Attach battery pack to robot base plate

Circuit Diagram

Using jumper wires, connect the components as shown in the diagram below.

Fritzing diagram of robot wiring

Having a hard time seeing the circuit? Click on the image for a closer look.