Page 276 - Robots Androids and Animatrons : 12 Incredible Projects You Can Build

12.8 PCB parts placement

When making the light-level adjustment, use a low level of light to
activate the robot. When the robot is on the floor, if the light level
is set too high it will stop every time it passes under a shadow.

Putting it all together
Once the circuit is adjusted, you are ready for the final assembly.
Glue the AA battery pack to the back of the gearbox, making sure
that no glue comes into contact with any of the gears. Glue the elec-
tronic circuit board to the front of the gearbox, again making sure
that none of the glue touches any of the gears. Connect the power
supply. At this point the gearbox will probably start turning. To load
the mechanism inside the robot, bring all the parts into a dark room 255
to deactivate the circuit. Load the assembly inside the sphere.

Take the robot out into the light. The gearbox should become active.
Place the robot on the floor. The robot should travel toward or in
the direction of light. If the robot does the opposite, stop the robot,
remove the gearbox and electronics, and reverse the wires leading
to the motor.

Locomotion
I was pleasantly surprised when I began observing this robot. I
originally thought it would become trapped easily. Not so. When
the robot enters a corner and stops, the gearbox inside begins
swinging all the way up and over, radically shifting its weight over
top dead center and moving the robot out of the corner.

Advancing the design

When I originally designed this robot, I planned to use a steering
mechanism to track a light source. However, the small steering
mechanism didn’t have enough weight to turn the robot in any di-
rection quickly. In the long run, other factors (terrain, obstacles,
Team LRN Solar-ball robot