Page 28 - Build a Remote Controlled Robot

FIGURE I-18. 9-volt batteries used in Questor. INTRODUCTION xxvii

battery power. However, if you have many systems on your
robot (for example, two or three blinking lights) you will have
to recharge a lot of batteries. You can, though, combine sys-
tems with the same power needs to feed off the same battery.
Regardless of how many batteries you use, you will have to
be able to access them, as well as the other subsystems of your
robot. This brings us to the next and, for a showbot, the most
important subsystem: the body.

BODY
A robot’s body tells the world who the robot is and what it can
do. For a show robot the body is its reason for existence,
because showbots are used for entertainment and to help
advertise products. Questor was designed to be a robot butler.
He has a waiter’s jacket painted on his body panels, and his
arms, while nonfunctional, do hold a serving tray. A blinking
bow tie helps complete his servant look. I built his body from
scratch, after completing his motorized base, with this specific
look in mind.
I am sure that you already have many ideas on how you
would like your robot to look. I hope the examples given here
will help spark your imagination. You should keep sketches of
your robot ideas in a notebook, so as your skill level grows you
can attempt your more advanced notions.