Building your own robot is the sort of DIY project that kids endlessly fantasise about. But it rarely gets beyond the crayon-drawn blueprint stage. A guy in Spain has decided to fulfill his childhood dream by hacking a $10 plastic box into his own remote-controlled robot. Here’s how it’s done.
IKEA Hacker reader Alfonso originally wanted to make a fully autonomous robot, but then decided that a remote-controlled drone was more feasible. He achieved this via an Arduino single-board microcontroller, an onboard camera and the Python-based video game module Pygame.
To make Alfonso’s ‘Minidron’ robot, you’ll need an IKEA Vessla box ($9.99), two continuous rotation servos, two small wheels, the aforementioned Arduino, a netbook or small laptop, a refrigerator tray, a box of ear-sticks and an assortment of wires and screws.
In terms of tools, you’ll only need a cutter, some screwdrivers, a minidrill and a pair of pliers — no soldering is required.
You can check out Alfonso’s step-by-step guide here.
Click on the video link below to see the Minidron robot in action:
[Via IKEA Hackers]
Comments