Grandson wants to build a robot.

[TB Roye]

We are going to Idhao this weekend to pick up 6 year old grandson and bring him back for 2 weeks. Among the things he wants to do in the shop is build a robot. I think he want to make it out of wood, like building a bird house. We have a couple of birdhouse kits, Does any one know a robot kit made of wood that is simple enough for a 6 year old and a 65 year old. Also where may I find a simple (cheap?) robot kit we can assemble and have work like a small RC type. Justin's dad thinks he thinks he can build out of wood and have it work and that the plans are in Juntin's mind as only a 6 year old can have. This should be interesting. He has many plans for his time here like Grandpa teaching him to fish, I can do that, getting him a new bike, I can do that, building bird houses, we can do that. Robots, help.

Tom

[LCHIEN]

We are going to Idhao this weekend to pick up 6 year old grandson and bring him back for 2 weeks. Among the things he wants to do in the shop is build a robot. I think he want to make it out of wood, like building a bird house. We have a couple of birdhouse kits, Does any one know a robot kit made of wood that is simple enough for a 6 year old and a 65 year old. Also where may I find a simple (cheap?) robot kit we can assemble and have work like a small RC type. Justin's dad thinks he thinks he can build out of wood and have it work and that the plans are in Juntin's mind as only a 6 year old can have. This should be interesting. He has many plans for his time here like Grandpa teaching him to fish, I can do that, getting him a new bike, I can do that, building bird houses, we can do that. Robots, help.

Tom

My best advice to you would be to use Google to look at Robot Kits.
Here'e Jameco, an old electronics parts supplier they have a number of kits for beginners:
http://www.robotstore.com/store/defa...e=1&afid=begin

You will find a lot of simple robots which do things like follow lines, hug walls, etc. If you are clever, you can upscale these things to fit a wooden robot (remount the line-following sensor, remount the motor, remount the electronics) but you may have problems with weight, most are designed to move just a small plastic body they provide.

What I would do personally:
He's only 6. I would get one or two robots like the line following one and maybe a wall hugger. Build them with him according to plan. Then use your woodworking skills to make some cool, reconfigurable mazes for them to run in. With the smaller robots a 4x4 maze should be great.

[TB Roye]

Loring

Thanks for the reply. I have forwarded the Post to my son and asked him to go on the site and pick a couple of the small one to build and I will order them so the get here next week. That will give us time to build them

tom

[bradley_osu]

I second Lchien's opinion. Here's a link I found:

http://www.hobbytron.com/BeginnerRobotKits.html

At the bottom are some wooden kits but they're not controllable. Depending on what you want him to learn some of the kits are even "programmable". Not really programming in the traditional sense but the robot reads a paper disk that you put markings on that tell it to do things. Developing a maze platform (a bunch of dados in a fairly decent size piece of plywood with some inserts) and developing random mazes and telling your grandson to figure out how to get the robot through them could be a very valuable learning experience for him and could be a lot of fun.

But I guess it depends on the 6 year old, though if he has interest in being in the shop and learning those things my guess is he's a fairly sharp cookie so it might be right up his alley.

The other option is that he could just want a robot that moves around on wheels. In that case go find a remote control car (the more controls the better) and take what you need from there and work it into your wooden platform. Use steering servos to control arms and keep the wheels in place. Maybe even take the power led's and put them in the robot's eyes.

[jziegler]

I'd go with a kit too. When I was in 6th or 7th grade, I took a workshop at the Franklin Institute in Philly on robotics, and part of the workshop was building one of the kits, the kind with the disc that controls it. It has 2 rings, one to turn on each wheel. It's a good start, and was fun. A friend took the workshop too, so we could get the 2 robots together.

There is a book that I have called "The Robot Builder's Bonanza" , there may be a newer edition out now, that has some nice plans in it. Some basic stuff with wooden or aluminum frames. Amazon lists a 3rd edition, from 2006, for $19, it may be worth it for some ideas. The biggest problems are finding properly geared motors and control. Wired remote is easy, but not nice. Anything else takes much more electronics, possibly too much to do with a 6 year old.

Whatever you do, have fun witht he project. Robotics is fun.

Jim

[os1kne]

I built a robot about 20+ years ago, when I was probably around 14 (based on a plan in Boy's Life magazine). It really wasn't technologically advanced (the "remote" was a Radio Shack project box connected with long wires electrical-taped together), but it was a great project for teaching me about electricity, soldering, etc.

The body was an upside down wastebasket that rested on a plywood lid that had a motor with wheels mounted on it. The motor had opposing shafts that operated independently. There were 2 DPDT switches in the "remote" that would run each side of the motor forward or reverse. There was a similar motor that operated PVC "arms" mounted to the underside of wastebasket bottom. There was another RS project box for the head with a couple of lights in it.

I bet my dad still has that robot. I'm going to visit this weekend, I'll have to take a look at it.

You may find this link helpful -
http://www.boyslife.org/hobbies-proj...working-robot/

Good luck and have fun!

[LinuxRandal]

I never did it, but once considered what your talking about. (must have been about 10) I was going to build a body based on K9 (Dr. Who reference for googling), then make the base in such a way that it rode on a remote controlled car. The more I thought, the fancier I wanted to get, like try to take a walkie talkie, and place it in the head as a receiver for the robotic voice.


Now looking back at the idea, I would build a wood frame and panel it in aluminum, so it won't be exceedingly heavy (it's still gonna wear the remote cars battery down quicker).


One page so you can see what it looks like and a fans built one: http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine...carfedone.html

[TB Roye]

Thanks guys

He picked out and I purchased the OWI Soccer jr. robot kit from Hobbytron. It should be here early next week. Also thanks for the link to the Boys Life robot that is another one that we can build. These plus his other projects he has in mind will keep us busy in the shop. I am also going to introduce him to building plastic model cars. I have over 500 kits mainly of NASCAR models he can build that go back into the 80's I also have a few reintroduced models form the 50's that are real simple to build. The Monogram Kurtis Midget and Indy Roadster. I haven't built any for awhile because of Carple Tunnel in my hands but can help him without to much problem. He has a 4 yearl old brother that want to build stuff to, so I hope to be busy with them over the next few years. Then there are the 2 grandaughters who want shop time too.

Thanks again

Tom