My First Robot Idea (SoR Contest)

[Sain]

Alright, just got done in Sketch Up with my robot idea. Nothing too complex. Just a photovore that runs on a 9V. I plan to document everything so I can enter it in the SoR contest.

edit: forgot to add the file here it is.




So today I went out to RadioShack today to buy all the parts then figured I could get 3x the parts for the same price. So I'm going to return the parts I bought today and just order everything online. Heres what I plan to order probably. Any suggestions on this to add. This is pretty much for a couple of photovores, and a $50 bot. Anyone have any suggestions on what else to add. I have absolutely nothing as far as components go. Just a bread board, wire, multimeter and a soldering iron.

Standard Motors - 4
Servos - 2

DPDT 5V Relay - 4
LM386 - Audio Op-Amp -2
Photoresistors - 5
Solarcells - 1
9V Battery Snap Connector - 1


4700?F Electrolytic Capacitor - 2
1000?F Electrolytic Capacitor - 4
220?F Electrolytic Capacitor - 2
.1uF Ceramic Capacitor - 10
Pack of Random Capacitors
Pack of Resistors

2N3904 NPN Transistor - 10
2N3906 NPN Transistor - 10

ATmega8 AVR - 1
28 pin DIP socket - 1
Breakaway Header - 2 packs
Grid-Style PC Board - 2


SPDT Toggle Switch -1
DPDT Toggle Switch - 1
SPDT Snap Lever Switch - 4

Also I'm thinking about picking up the following books, Junkbots, Bugbots, and Bots on Wheels or Robot Building for Beginners by David Cook. Which one do yall recommend, or does anyone know where I can download them?

[Del]

Hi,

If you're more interested in making something like a photovore (or other BEAM robot),
the Junkbots book would be a better choice. It contains step-by-step instructions for
several BEAM-type robots.

There's a lot of BEAM stuff online. Here are some example links:

http://www.instructables.com/id/E6PN27M4CPEP286H58/?ALLSTEPS
http://www.streettech.com/robotbook/mousey.html
http://downloads.solarbotics.net/PDF/Solarbotics_Herbie_the_Mousebot_Instruction.pdf

[Brandon121233]

forget the relay and transistors, go with MOSFET's and before you order that stuff, you can get about half of it in free samples
get the Atmega168 instead of the Atmega8
if you want to fit the robot in an altoid can look at getting poico servos http://www.junun.org/MarkIII/Info.jsp?item=16

[sotu]

why u need 4 motors and 2 servos if u only have 2 wheels? (3 with the scrolling wheel without drift power)

[Admin]

I noticed you got solar cells and no batteries. I dont think the solarcells you will use can handle the motors without resetting the microcontroller during solar engine cap discharge . . .