RoboBrrd

How complex do you want your RoboBrrd to be? What do you want your RoboBrrd to be able to do? Here are some images of sample configurations.

Be sure to check what parts you already have, and what parts you will need. This will help you in deciding which configuration you want to build.

If this is one of your first robots, going for a smaller configuration may be better, and you can add on more to the RoboBrrd as you go along.

The front panel is the main focal point of this robot. This is where the beak is placed, and the eyes. We will need four pencils and some popsicle and coffee stir sticks for this step.

Cut off the eraser tops from the pencils (1) and create a square (2). We may want to save the eraser tops for later.

Attach popsicle sticks to the pencils (3). Make sure that they are as perpendicular as possible when applicable.

The beak of the RoboBrrd is one of the most difficult parts of the robot. We have to take the patience to make this piece as best as we can! We will have to check that the beak fits into the opening that we created in RoboBrrd’s front panel. We will also have to make sure that the two halves of the beak will be slightly touching each other at the back edge of the beak halves.

We will need popsicle and coffee stir sticks for this step, as well as a sharp “poking” tool.

There are two parts to the beak as a whole, the top half and the bottom half. The steps below will be for the top half. To create the bottom half, assemble another top half and turn it upside down.

Start by creating a base triangle (4).

Cut a popsicle stick and poke a hole into it at the end of the straight edge (5). Make sure that the wood doesn’t split. If it does, grab another popsicle stick and try again.

Attach the poked popsicle stick to the middle of one of the sides of the triangle (6). Add coffee stir sticks from the two adjacent edges of the triangle to the poked popsicle stick (7). Add two coffee stir sticks leading to the tip of the beak (8).

Cut a coffee stir stick the length of the space between the two popsicle sticks on the front panel (9). Attach a small coffee stir stick piece (one to each side) connecting the poked popsicle stick and the diagonal beak coffee sticks (10).

Create the bottom half of the beak by repeating the steps above.

Place the coffee stir stick that was cut in the second-previous step through the hole in the beak (11). Check that the beak (with both halves) measures up to everything in the front panel. Glue the coffee stir stick to the two popsicle sticks on the front panel (12).

Once glued, add two small coffee stir stick pieces to each side of the beak on the coffee stir stick (13). This will help keep the beak in the middle as it is rotating.

Repeat the mounting steps for the bottom half of the beak if not done already.

Grab two popsicle sticks and poke holes at each of the ends in them (14). Attach them to the holes in the “poked hole piece” in the beak halves by using some wire (15).

Take a break, you just completed one of the most challenging parts of the RoboBrrd construction!

We will need more pencils, many coffee stir sticks, and some wire or string.

Create two squares of pencils (16).

Create a mesh of coffee stir sticks on one of the squares (17). This will be used for the base of the RoboBrrd, where all the servos are mounted and all the electronics sit.

Attach the front panel to the bottom panel (18). Be sure to check that they are attached at 90 degrees as much as possible.

Attach the other square on the back panel on the opposite side of the front panel (19). Try to keep this attached at 90 degrees as much as possible too.

Attach two pencils to the top of the two standing panels (20).

Add some popsicle sticks in for some support (21).

We are going to take a break from the construction aspect for now, and play with some of our electronics. Testing the electronics that we are going to be using is important, as there is not much room inside of RoboBrrd once all of the electronics are there. We will need all of the electronics that we are planning to use in RoboBrrd.

Test all of the servos and ensure that they are able to be controlled. You can use the “Sweep” example in the Servo library for Arduino. We are going to create a separate power supply to the servos in a later step, we are seeing if they are able to move in this step.

Test all of the LEDs to ensure that they can light up. You can use the “Fade” example in Arduino.

If you are going to have any sensors in RoboBrrd, be sure to check them as well. You can use the “AnalogInOutSerial” example in Arduino.

The eyes for RoboBrrd will seem magical because they look white, but with some LEDs we can turn them to any colour we want! We will need two ping pong balls.

Poke a hole in the ping pong balls for the LED to fit into (22).

With the LEDs fit into the ping pong balls, mount them on the front panel of RoboBrrd (23). We should be able to take the LEDs out without any problems. Draw eyes on the ping pong balls (24)!

Attach long wires to the LEDs (so they can reach the back of RoboBrrd without being tight), shrink wrap each of the leads, and glue in to the ping pong ball (25).