Let's Make Robots!


jklug80's picture

I have 2 robots I am working on, but I also want to toss making turorials on my list. We have a lot of good ones out there, but I want to make some that cover the basics (making an LED blink, then making 3 leds light in a certain order, adding sensor X, etc until it makes a robot). The eventual goal is making the tutorials teach not only how to make stuff but also teaching good coding skills (using tabs in code, proper documenting, white space, when to use GOSUB, etc) as well as slowly teaching components as they are used.

I am the type of person that will avoid reading a user's manual because it is too big and I want to PLAY NOW! But I will read a short 1 pager befor eplaying with a new toy. The hope is to make each tutorial small enough to where someone can follow it to learn something bu tnot have to read more than 5-10 minutes before they can run off and build something. Anyone have some ideas for small projects that can build off each other?

Some I have though of:
Blinking LED
3 LEDs blinking in order to make a traffic signal (maybe use a three color LED).
Make Dice with 7 LEDs that pick a random number and show the number
Add a 5volt regulator
Something to work in a servo
Something to work in a motor
Something with a motor driver
Something with a secondary power source
Add a SRF05

The goal is to get the user to be able to build something like the START HERE robot or maybe a bit more complex, but have the ability to know what all the code does as well as what all the components are and why they are there. Also it would all be done on a breadboard with the goal of moving it all to perf board. again small projects that build off each other to where the reader can get hands on quickly but also learn some useful skills in good coding and what components do.


Also I changed my avatar someone else was using Wall-E :)

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iCon's picture
Sorry to gravedig, but i think a transistor tutorial as oddbot suggested would be a great idea. Their one of the basic electronic components and i dont understand their purpose beyond signal amplifiers.
jklug80's picture
It is going to be at least a few months until I get going on these. This thread isn't dead for a long time... at least it won't be a zombie for a while.
OddBot's picture
Perhaps we do need more tutorials on some of the basics. I sometimes take it for granted that a person understands voltage dividers or transistors.
jip's picture

Good initiative! I think teaching about voltage dividers for example building a line sensor with an LDR and a constant resistor would be a good thing. It's fairly basic and sort of a must-know for robo-builders.


iCon's picture
Hmm, it'd be great if you cover charlie-plxing with LED's if you going to do something involving them. I really dont get tristate logic or how the LED's are wired in a Charlie-plex.
ericski's picture

This may help you with that



.....now back to your regularly scheduled thread.....

jklug80's picture
Sounds good but it would be an advanced topic. I want to learn it myself.