How to make a robot at home using waste material?

Ever thought that discarded materials could be used to make projects for your kids? The waste materials you have been throwing in the garbage can be used to make a robot for your child. Here is how you can do it:

1. Items required

• A base to hold all the things together. For the base, waste materials such as cardboard, plastic from a bottle, metal or anything can be used.
• Two DC motors are required which can be easily found in anything that rotates such as pencil sharpeners, fans and RC Cars. Also, make sure that they are equal in length.
• Two AA batteries of 1.5V and bottle caps are required. Not exactly bottle caps, you can use anything that’s round in shape. The intention is to make wheels out of it.
• Toothpicks, wire, pop sticks, glue gun, scissors, hot glue, drill press, holder and wire clippers (Optional).

2. Drill

• Make a tiny hole using the drill in the bottle cap (wheel). After drilling the backside of the wheels, its time for the front ones. Put a toothpick in front wheels to ensure it’s not much tight, as tight wheels don’t roll.

3. Add wires

• If the motor doesn’t come with a connected 5 inches long wire, then grab some wires asap! It’s strongly recommended to use wires of two different colours as it wouldn’t get mixed up.
• Wrap in such a way that the leads and the wire remain connected. You can use some hot glue to ensure they’re connected. Connect the battery to both the ends of that wire. When the motor starts moving, be sure that there’s a connection.

4. Affix the wheels

• The shaft should be placed in the interior of the hole of the wheel. Keep it near the wheel. To secure the motor and the bottle cap (wheel), put glue on it.
• After you’re done with both the wheels, cut the pop sticks as per the wheel’s size. The measurement should be taken from the outside to the centre of the wheel.
• Double the size you got from the measurement and cut 4 sticks of that size. Position two of the sticks with the help of some glue. After they are fixed, put front wheels over the toothpick. Do the same thing with the opposite side as well.

5. Affix the motors

• Mark the area with a pencil where you want to affix the wheels and then cut that area out. Also, scrutinize and mark the negative and positive terminal of the battery.
• Now you know the correct way to place those motors. So, place it correctly and connect the wires to it. Put glue on both the sides to prevent the motor from falling off.

6. Front wheels

• This is the quickest and easiest step among all. Attach the 4 legs to the base with the help of hot glue. Let the glue dry and you are done!

7. Wiring

• The bottom of your battery holder has 2 metal leads. One is negative and another is positive. The motor’s – is connected to the negative lead. By using 2 wire pieces, attach both of them to each head.
• On the other hand, the switch consists of 3 leads on its base. To regulate the flow of electricity between the motors, one among the leads should be connected with the + wire. The middle head should also be connected with the motor.

Bottom Line:

You are all done! So instead of freaking out what to do when your kid comes running to you for a school project, follow these simple steps mentioned above. In this way, the waste materials are converted into something useful and amazing.