How-To Guides about Robotics


how to
How to Make a robot car In this tutorial, we learn how to make a robot car. To start, you will need to prepare the sensors by placing in the pins and soldering. After this, you will need to connect the wires to these and solder them into the correct places. Use a map to find the correct placement for everything. After this, you will take your sensor boxes and bolt them into place on the base of the car. From here, you will need to use a band saw to cut out the cover for the car and the sides/back. Glue the sensors...


In this video, we learn how to change the channel of the AI-01 Robot. First, you need to find the channels that are on the back panel of the robot. After you do this, turn the robot off, then turn it back on. Then, press both sides of the buttons together. After this, you will press the left button to choose the number and then press the right button to choose the team. After this, you will press both buttons together and then grab the remote. Select the channel on the remote by doing the same...


Lego Mindstorms is a great way to take your Legos to the next level by adding in the flavor of robotics! But, with taking it up to the next level, it does get a hair tougher! And if you're having trouble working with the Mindstorms software, this great video with Patrick Norton and David Calkins goes over each step of using the software so you can have your very own robot ready to go in no time!


Though named "Walker," this robot doesn't really ambulate so much as shimmy. Which, to tell the truth, is fine by us. Lots of gross things walk. Only cute things dance.


Cheaper (and perhaps cuter) than a maid, the simple scrub bot is easy and cheap to make:

This simple yet odd robot moves like a four-legged, single unit of a centipede, which unfortunately makes me think of the Human Centipede (shudder, don't click on the second video in the gallery below if you're faint of heart... or at work).


This is a video tutorial describing how to make a lego optimus prime head. The first step is to get all of the LEGO pieces that you will need. You will need tiles, plates, connector pieces, translucent pieces, technique pieces, and a few speciality pieces. First start by taking your plate and adding 2x2 piece, then add two 1x2 tiles, one on each side. Then add a 1x2 plate. Then add two connector pieces to hold on the chin of the head. Then add the 1x1 pieces. Then add two translucent pieces. To...

Robots are great for performing tasks that are otherwise too dangerous for man (e.g. dead body extraction bot). BeetleCam is a cute little bot that takes all the danger out of wild life photography. Controlled remotely from a Range Rover about 50 yards away, BeetleCam ventures where no sane photographer dares to go (at the feet of a charging elephant, say).


This video describes how to make a talking robot mask using iPhone. For that you need Reading scale, Cutter scissor, Box to fix into head, Cutter Knife, Screw Driver, Glue, Cello tape, Aluminum Foil, Pen, 2 Bottle caps, used paper and an iPhone with mouth analysis software. First take together, now take that Box and have to two parts for make it convenient to wear into head by sticking both using Cello tape, now we have to make the mouth with size of "50mm by 75mm" which will fit with iPhone's...


In this four-part science tutorial, learn how to make a model of a hand that works like a real hand: with tendons that move the fingers. This is a great tool to teach kids the body's inner workings. Part 1 includes an introduction and parts 2-4 include the step-by-step instructions to contruct this learning tool.


In this episode of the popular web series Systm, RoboGames founder and SFSU School of Engineering instructor David Calkins shows you how to create your own combat robot using a kit from RoboGames.

Kogoro Kurata, master ironsmith, known for his massive, impressive metalworking. His creations are awe-inspiring. Any blacksmith or engineer would agree.


Systm is the Do It Yourself show designed for the common geek who wants to quickly and easily learn how to dive into the latest and hottest tech projects. We will help you avoid pitfalls and get your project up and running fast.


how to
How to Make miniature robots Check out this Make Magazine segment on building mini robots. Then you can move onto huge ones like Big Dog!


This week I made the tinyCylon kit from the Maker Shed. It's a fun little project that has a lot of cool light patterns programmed onto the chip. this is a tiny programmable robot from Make Magazine.


Sparky is a wireless, web-based video-chat robot from the Gomi Style crew. You can learn how to make your own Autonomous Telepresence robot using spare computer parts, some old toys and a bit of custom software (that we provide at gomistyle.com). This robot is operated with a Make controller circuit board. Sparky is a retired electric wheel chair with a monitor as a head.


This scorpion toy was constructed by Make Magazine with a Twitchie Robot Kit. If you're afraid of real life scorpions this friendly toy might help you get used to them. His plush body is made from some fabric aiming to make him look like an Arizona bark scorpion, which are tan/yellowish/translucent. Twitchie is Arduino powered and comes pre-programmed, so it's an excellent kit for beginners in robotics, because no programming is required! You can download and modify the code if you want, and...


Illah Nourbakhsh of Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute teaches you how to set up and use your Gigapan robotic system. Watch all four videos to see the process from start to finish. Learn how to use the Gigapan robotic system by watching this video tutorial.
Featured On WonderHowTo:
Productivity & Shortcuts


how to
How to Make a robot spider Here's how to make an electric motor with some wire. It looks like a cool spider.


Herbie the Mousebot is a very quick, easy-to-build, light-chasing robot kit, perfect for beginners. This little robot is so quick, you have to run to keep up with him! This is from make magazine.


This is a three part video on how to make a swashbot robot. Check it out!


This robot is BEAM bot inspired. First we build up the Motor Drive, an excellent and cheap Robot Bot-Base. We start with the Tamiya kit, get it going, then strap on a battery and a drag wheel, center the drag wheel. Tape it all in place with bright yellow tape and make a BEAM Bot with batteries. Plans for this BEAM framework are to add smarts.


Control an i-SOBOT with a wiimote. This tutorial shows how to do the i-SOBOT Slapping maneuver using Robodance and the Nintendo Wii Remote with Nunchaku attachment.


A video tutorial on how to use the wiimote to control a Lego NXT robot.
Featured On WonderHowTo:
Music & Audio


how to
How to Make a Reprap robot Check out this video to learn how to make a RepStrap robot. This project entails LOTS of materials. The only way you can learn what to use is by watching.


how to
How to Make an edible robot A five minute film on how to make your own edible robot. Edible robotics is an exciting new field of research into robots as food and prey. This research was supported by Robo250, the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, the Mattress Factory and MAYA Design, Inc.


Mousey the junk bot is a light sensing robot made out of an old computer mouse. Bre Pettis of Make Magazine goes over how the pieces are installed and talks about some mistakes that he wishes he could have avoided. This project requires a drill, a dremel, and soldering skills.


Create teenie tiny solar robots with Bre Pettis of Make Magazine. Learn to make little teeny tiny robots called beambots that are powered by the sun! One of the great things about these little solar powered bots is that you can make them from scavenged materials. Use parts from broken electronics and bring them back to life as little robots! If you are not an expert in circuits, you will need books and pdf's to supplement this video.


how to
How to Make a pet blinky bug A blinky bug is a small electro-mechanical insect that responds to stimulus, such as movement, vibrations, or air current, by blinking its LED eyes. This video will show you how to make a blinky bug for under 6 dollars and without having to solder.


If you are interested in starting with robotics, than this video is for you. Watch Bre Pettis create his own robot, and in the process learn some basic yet necessary robotic skills.