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50bucks robot

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velvet7:
Dear guys,

I've always wanted to build a robot by myself, and program it to do whatever I want, so first of all I would like to say a big thank you to whomever created that tutorial. But I am a little bit confused... I just want to buy those stuffs that he bought, so the exact same things, is there a list for that? Because all I saw when I was reading the tutorial is different parts, so like "you could buy that, but this one is cheaper etcetc.". But all I want it a working robot at first, so someone could please explain to me what to buy to do all the things he did? I would really appreciate it!

Thank you,
velvet7

newInRobotics:
Everything's here --> Parts List   :) which part confuse You?

velvet7:
About the programmers, which one did he use? And what's the difference? If I buy the other one, why is it good for me? Is it faster, or...? I know I may sound stupid, I am really sorry, but I really want to get started somehow, I really love robots!

newInRobotics:
Not to spend too much money when You first start, something like this --> USB ISP USBASP Programmer for ATMEL AVR 51 ATMega ATTiny ATMEGA8 ATMEGA128 will do  :) It will give You chance to program ATmega microcontrollers that support In Series Programming. Check datasheet of a microcontroller to find out if ISP is supported. ATmega8 does support it  ;)

greywanderer012345:
I got the AVR ISP MkII programmer, and it has worked great for me. It goes for around 35USD. You can get some cheaper, but they might require an extra step when programming, such as using PonyProg, and the cheaper ones often come as just a board, with no protective covering. The MkII is inside a plastic case, with only the connections exposed, and can program the MCU right from AVRStudio.

I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST that you order the molex connectors and housings along with your other circuitry. The tutorial suggests this as highly optional, but these will greatly simplify connecting the light sensors. You don't need the clamps to use them either. They can be attached with needle-nose pliers; it just takes a minute rather than a few seconds, and you might ruin a couple connectors the first few times you try. I didn't buy them, and ended up having to find them locally to avoid paying several dollars shipping on a $2 order.

You really want to look at some of the member suggestions rather than explicitly following the tutorial, specifically webbot's.

Know that you really might want a dremel or similar tool when modifying the servos. You're likely to mess up some gear teeth trying to file the remains of the cut tab by hand, and servos tend to vary in internal design without much warning. eg. I used the exact servos suggested in the tutorial, but the slot for the pot head was not removable, and I had to use my dremel carving tool to hollow it out (others have cut off the pot head, but I imagine that is hard to do without breaking the superglue bond).

One of the big reasons the tutorial gives options is that different parts often become available, and some become unavailable. You might also find some servos or other interchangeable components that are higher quality on sale.

Don't be overwhelmed by the MCU documentation. It's hard for any beginner to understand. The best use you'll likely get from it is when a tutorial tells you to refer to a chart in it. It's not the place to learn how to use the MCU. Use tutorials. Just stick with any of the atmega series and the code samples should work fine.

I don't get a lot of time to mess with robotics, so I'm still a beginner myself, having nearly completed the $50 robot. I just made and added the light sensors, and have left to program the bot to use them. The frustrations of getting started, and how I fixed the simple problems, are still fresh in my mind, so feel free to message me.

Good Luck!

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