How in depth do you go in your projects on the hardware side?

[blackbeard]

this has been something i've wondered about most robot builders. on one side i hear allot of people discouraging "re-inventing the wheel" as they call it while there's a few people like admin who've gone down to the basics to bring the famous $50 robot featuring pop bottle and cardboard accesories and a custom built mcu. so where do you fall? personally i like going as basic as i can in something because i always learn more about something when i look at it's foundation.

[random robots]

i'm more into using an already made body instead of building one, but i design my own circuits, so im sorta in the middle.
 
Patrick

[futmacl]

this has been something i've wondered about most robot builders. on one side i hear allot of people discouraging "re-inventing the wheel" as they call it while there's a few people like admin who've gone down to the basics to bring the famous $50 robot featuring pop bottle and cardboard accesories and a custom built mcu. so where do you fall? personally i like going as basic as i can in something because i always learn more about something when i look at it's foundation.

I'm probably low-level to the point of being a cautionary tale (link).

[blackbeard]

wow that is low level! how do you go about manufacturing your own parts like that? start making your own transistors and you'll REALLY be reinventing the wheel like this guy did it.

http://hackaday.com/2010/05/13/transistor-fabrication-so-simple-a-child-can-do-it/

[hoosier122]

wow that is low level! how do you go about manufacturing your own parts like that? start making your own transistors and you'll REALLY be reinventing the wheel like this guy did it.

http://hackaday.com/2010/05/13/transistor-fabrication-so-simple-a-child-can-do-it/

Just remember it's all a bunch of switches, resistance and power...now getting it as small as you can is the big difference. Or maybe when heat/polarity starts to become an issue.

[Joker94]

well i am one of the people that love to build robots from the ground up. design a base that suits my purpose not a base that is designed to suit the purpose of thousands.

i know it is not practical for many people and many people cant be bothered but i much prefer building my own mechanical parts. not only as i find it easier to work with in the long run but i love designing anf building my mechanical components

cheers

Joker94