Amazing fast Micro Hexapod HEX-E V.1 - by CustoBots
http://www.custobots.com HEX-E V.1 - This new version of the HEX-E Hexapod Robot has the fastest and best walking gait we have seen in a Hexapod! The include...
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Robot Building Tools
Introduction
Interested in building robots? Always dreamed of it but couldn't figure out where to start? Here at the RUG Community we hope to address some of these questions.
Whether you are new to robotics or a seasoned veteran this article is meant to serve as a basic guide. A basic guide which will inform of you of the common tools you will need to work with robotics.
Every robot is different - therefore - your tools will vary. However, the purpose of this guide is to walk you through the tools you are likely to use when building robots and working them.
With this kit one can expect to construct the following types of robots:
- Humanoids
- Hexapods
- Quadrapods
- Bipeds
- Tracked Vehicles (tanks)
- Wheeled Vehicles
- Airplanes
- Helicopters
- And much more....
Tools
The purpose of this section is to pinpoint the primary tools required when working with robotics.
One can expect to find in a typical robotics toolkit the tools found in a standard tool set. Our aim is to simply illustrate and describe why each of the tools listed is required.
This is not a brand specific listing - however - we did chose the tools we use here at the RUG Community when constructing robots of any kind. <//tr> <//tr>
| Image | Name | Description |
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Screwdriver Set | This particular set is small and handy to use. One can never have enough screw drivers in any toolset. |
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Screwdriver Set | Yet another handy screw driver set. These are slightly larger than the previous set and a little harder to handle. However, its all about the grip with these drivers. We often use these screw drivers when we do not need to apply a lot of force to drive in a screw. |
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Screwdriver Set | This is a multi-purpose screw driver set that comes with many different attachments including flat heads, phillips, allen keys, hex keys and so on. |
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Screwdriver Set | This is yet another multi-purpose screw driver set with a different handle for the driver plus an extension. We actually got these for cheap at your local hardware store hence why we decided to buy two different sets with overlapping features. |
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Rachet Set | A must have in any tool set. Complete with sockets and a driver. These kit enables you to use the sockets/drivers different than a regular handle since it is mounted perpendicularly to the actual bit. |
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Socket Set | This is a socket set and is great because it includes all your basic sockets that one would use with robotics. Furthermore, at a price of 5 bucks it cannot be beat. |
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General Purpose Plier Set | These types of sets are great because they include various pliers. All of which will be used in one way or another while building any robot. It wouldn't hurt to through in a clamping wrench in with this set. |
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Wire Cutters | This will be very handy and is a must have in your kit. You will be cutting many wires which will require exacting snips here and there. Make sure to get a nice pair that fits right in your hand. |
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Wire Strippers | This will be very handy and is a must have in your kit. Try to steer clear of the cheaper models and brands when purchasing a wire stripper. Also, make sure there are many gauges of wire supported by the stripper. You never know which gauge you'll encounter. |
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Allen Key Set | You never know when you need any one of these allen keys. From our experience its best to buy a set that has many sizes. Do not skimp and purpose a small set - small sets do not have all the varying sizes you may require. Lastly, do not bother getting a set that larger allen keys - concentrate on sets that have the really small sizes. Anything over a 30 piece set should suffice. |
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Hobby Knife Set | Hobby Knives go a long way when working with plastics and rubber. Our suggestion is to buy a basic kit with a few tips. Radio Shack sells this particular kit and has worked perfectly for us for all our projects. We basically use only two tips - the standard hobby knife tip and a niddle point which comes in handy when soldering. |
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General Purpose Razor | In addition to the hobby knife set one should a standard razor knife found at any hardware store. These knives allow you to get a good grip and apply a lot of pressure against whatever is being cut. Its not used often - but you will know when you need it. |
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Soldering Iron Set | With robotics the way it is today - you cannot get around having to solder something. Purchase a set that feels right in your hands and try and stay away from the cheap 9 dollar sets. We purchased a set that ran about 30 bucks and was well worth the investment. No need to go crazy with the sizes of the tips - you will be able to solder anything with the standard tips. |
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Soldering Station | This is a must have. You will need to be able to clean your irons tips, magnify the items you are working - and you will need a 3rd and 4th hand. One of these sets will give you all that. Plus they typically have a spring where you can place the iron while adjusting the items. Saves you from burning you desk/bench and hands. |
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Magnifying Set | This is a nifty little magnifying set we picked up at Radio Shack. Its handy when inspecting hard to see items. |
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Cordless Drill | A standard cordless drill is all you need to work with robotics. At least basic robotics. Don't expect to make industrial robots with this drill. However, all consumer and research robotics will suffice with a standard cordless drill. We happen to have a Black and Decker laying around the office for general purpose. It was simply retasked for our needs. |
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Drill Bit Set | Its important to get a good bit set. Don't skimp on these or get the smaller sets. Get a set that has many drill bits and make sure they can be used in plastic and metals. You will most likely be drilling into wood, plastic and aluminum. Also - make sure to have a spare batter so you are always ready to go. |
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Glue Gun | Project Boxes, Circuit Boards, Stand offs go hand and hand with a standard glue gun. Trust us when we say there will be times a screw and/or a standoff will not suffice. You will need to resort to the glue gun. You want something that adheres and dries fast. Using glue like super glue or gorilla glue takes WAY too long to dry and you will wind up holding your items in place for 5-10 minutes each time. A glue gun will simply save you time and make your items more sturdy. |
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Anti-Static Mat and Wrist Strap | With robotics it is common that one will handle boards, sensors, circuits and so on. Static is a killer to all these components. Make sure you have one of these in your arsenal. Otherwise you will wind up frying your components and won't figure it out until you ACTUALLY replace the item and notice it works again. |
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Multi-Meter | We went through a learning curve with this experience. We found that the cheap meters are useless. They eventually stop working all together. Spend the money up front and pick up a multi-meter that is over 30 bucks. We purchased ours a year ago at Radio Shack for 29 bucks and it hasn't failed us once. |
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Tool Bag | Completely optional. We chose the tool bag instead of a tool box because its easy to just reach in and grab the tools as you need them. A tool box is big clunky and tends to fall over when you open the lid. Especially since we do not have heavy items in our tool kit. |
Conclusion
You may note that these are all typical tools you can find in just about any hardware store. Even though we are dealing with robotics it does not mean we have to get advanced tools to work with them. One might not be able to make an industrial robot with these tools - however - you can go a long way before you get to that point.
We hope that this has served a purpose for all of you on the site. Food for thought - we have constructed hexapods, humanoids, tracked vehicles, wheeled vehicles and aerial vehicles. One thing we have not done with this tool set is construct aquatic robots. This is next in line for us so we are sure there will be a few additions to this kit.
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