how do you build a robot from scrap in under $30?
608136
If you are interested in learning about electronics you might look into BEAM robotics (BEAM = Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics, Mechanics). Their approach is to design robots whose interactions with the environment are built into the electronics rather than programmed like most robots. They have a history of liking to scavenge parts from old electronic and mechanical devices. They also have a very active and helpful community that includes many kids your age learning about electronics and robotics (look around for a mailing list in the links, I'm sure there's still an active one). Don't be intimidated by the elctronics stuff, in my experience that's the easy part, the hard part is getting the moving parts to work. I am attaching some links below:
905341
If you go to PCB Express on-line, you can download some simple graphical type programs to design a schematic and do a board layout for a prototype board.  You enter credit card information and in a few days, you will have three prototype boards mailed to you.  You then populate them and solder it up.  This is only one of several services to do this.  It works pretty well, assuming that you are willing to do the work yourself.  \n\nIf not, I would make a flowchart on paper of what you want the circuit to do and submit it to an electronics or robotics on-line site or message board for help, go talk to a teacher or professor, etc.
838649
It costs money, but I find AI Roboform to be the most functional and easy to use.  I tried other free ones but they are not use friendly like Roboform. Spend the money it's woth it.
617087
We would build a jumbo cart that could hold many kids and put lawnmower wheels on it or bigger wheels if we could find it and a bunch of us kids would hop on and some would take turns pushing it down the hill....it had a steering wheel of course -taken from a scrap car...and reflectors for that matter. Later on we learned how to put lights on it hooked up to a car battery. We built tree houses and my dad helped us run the wires to have electricity (we didn't have water though)lol We played a lot of ball games and if we didn't have a ball handy we would just use a 500ml juice box rinsed out and squashed.... condensed milk cans attached to a string made for a nice racket if you walked it down a bumpy rocky unpaved street...steel drums made for good 'pan' drums and I can play quite nicely on a good set of pots and pans thank you very much :-) I'm a girl but I was the biggest tomboy ever...I always thought guy things were more fun and toy trucks etc were pretty easy to build. (I designed and made a working car engine for a full size car at 16) Today kids are stuck in front of video games and don't use their imagination or get physical exercise nearly as much as we did. I don't know what intellivision is and I've heard of Atari but never played it-granted I live in a different country from you and also grew up in another country where there was no Atari etc.
1161524
the easiest way is to find a trailer dealer that does custom work, they can probably do it cheaper than you can unless you already have everything on hand.  A friend of mine just had one built for around 12k or 15k, all electric, she's using it as a roach coach in the panhandle of tx i think
988763
There are lots of robotic-related sites. If you aren't an ace at C or assembly programming, you might want to stick with the Basic Stamp. Parallax (http://www.parallax.com) makes kits and also makes the plans available for free and has a lot of science project/educational material for free. The Basic Stamp is easy to use even for a novice.\n\nIf you want something more sophisticated, look at http://www.robotstore.com for more ideas. \n\nA web search on  ' "Basic Stamp" robot' would also show many pages of people doing similar things.
1014182
Designing one is relatively cheap. Building a prototype is not so cheap. You would need to use precision linear stepper motors or other actuators and their power supplies and  cooling systems and so forth.\n\nI suppose that if you already have a lathe or milling machine you could possibly modify it by replacing the manual positioning and stock feed or tool advance controls with the above computer-controlled steppers, etc. I don't think it would do as good a job as a commercial unit. You would have to have a separate controller for each axis or each degree of freedom that the machine can work in. \n\nHave you tried looking for a used cnc machine that someone might be replacing with a newer unit? It is rare that they would just junk them; you might be able to find a used one or a model that is no longer in production. Try contacting manufactureres. Those are my best ideas, Hope they help.
573793
I got mine at Radio Shack, around $30
35229
Start with a multi-cut-out prototype & tape.  Once you've figured the sizes for your parts, disassemble and use a prototype 1-piece pattern with tabs & slots to hold it together.  Work it till it works  :-)
521443
Well, I don't know what your car looks like, so I don't know if I can help much, but here are a few tips I've learned from working in robotics.\n\nIf your car is working sometimes and completely dead other times, then it's probably not the batteries.  But just to be on the safe side,  get some batteries that you know are fresh, and use those.\n\nDo you have access to a multimeter?  It's generally a little hand-held device about the size of a brick with a couple of probes on it.  If you have one, you can use it to check the wires for disconnections anywhere.  Look for an icon that's sort of like this: >|  Only it will have a horizontal line going through it.  That function will test for continuity in your circuit.\n\nWith regards to mounting the motor, if the car came from a kit, it probably has instructions.  If not, it kind of depends on what kind of motor it is.  If it has screw holes, you can easily bolt it to the body of the car with a simple drill and a couple of screws.  If that's not an option, a hot glue gun will work fairly well.\n\nGood luck on your project.
181390
Get wooden matchsticks and cut the heads off of them.  Then it is a simple means of making the design and building it.\n\nOr you can order this kit.
1044288
You can make any simple machine having fulcrum, load and effort or u can even make a pulley.(These r very cheap and easy to make)\n\nFor ur project on universe u can get information from any encyclopedia or search in net.
896989
You can make a ball bearing launcher:\nhttp://my.execpc.com/~rhoadley/maglnch.htm\n\nYou can make your own levitating MagLev train:\nhttp://my.execpc.com/~rhoadley/magtrain.htm\n\nOther info is available here:\nhttp://www.kn.sbc.com/wired/fil/pages/listmagnetsan1.html
831887
If you need laymans details, then I'm thinking that the use of Gyro's may be beyond your abilities as far as robotics are concerned. You may be better off constructing a robot with wheels ( take a look at the kits available at www.jameco.com )\n\nGyro's are expensive, precision instruments that require interfacing to microprocessors to obtain and process any useful data. Another sensor that could do something similar and would be cheaper and easier to use, would be an accelerometer which has an output that may be easier to interface with. \n\nHope this helps
372137
try this :\n\nhttp://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2005/06/
518106
Take a board, something like a 2 foot long 2" by 4".  Hold it along side of your knee so that an even amount is above and below the knee jooint.  Now nail that mother to the side of your leg.  Instant roboknee.
163822
If you r searching for electronic robot then try out this\nuse aluminium bar to design your robot\nuse stepper motor for its various moments.\nU need a electronic circuit to control it.\ncomponents :\nTransformer (9-0-9)\nDiode(IN4007)\nvoltage regulator ics(L7812C,L7815C)\nresistors(470E,1K,220ohms)\nNPN transistors(SL100,CL100)\nRelay(BS-114,HRS4H-s-DC12V)\nconsult ur local repairing shop for further guidance