Page 328 - Robot Builder's Bonanza

Chapter 26

Build Robots with

Wheels and Tracks

s you discovered in Part 2 of this book, you can construct practical and functional mobile
Arobots using only common tools and readily available materials. You can use wood,
plastic, or metal— or, for quick prototypes, heavy- duty cardboard or foamboard intended for
art projects. (What’s a robot but a fancy art project?!)
This chapter extends what you’ve discovered in previous pages, offering numerous plans
and design concepts for building robots that run about on wheels and tracks. The choice of
construction material is up to you, and you’re free to experiment with different sizes and
assembly techniques.
See Chapter 27 if you’re wanting to build a robot that uses legs to move around.
See also Chapters 20 through 23 for information on general robot design, as well as
FYI information on powering your robot with motors. And be sure to check out the free bonus
projects on the RBB Online Support site, detailed in Appendix A.

Basic Design Principles of Rolling Robots

With few exceptions, bots that roll use wheels or tank treads to get from one place to another.
As you read in Chapter 20, “Moving Your Robot,” wheeled robots use a number of steering
techniques. The most common— for wheels or treads— is two motors on each side of the
vehicle.

DRIVE MOTOR ARRANGEMENTS

The most popular mobile robot design uses two identical motors to spin two wheels on oppo-
site sides of the base. These wheels provide forward and backward locomotion, as well as left

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