How to Construct a robot?

Answer 1

This is one of the smallest and simplest autonomous ones I have found yet, thanks to FriPilot

http://members.tripod.com/robomaniac_2001/id120.htm

Otherwise, I have had pretty good luck with buying small remote control cars at the dollar store (or the stuff my nephews throw away) and taking them apart to reconfigure the motors into what I want, but that ends up with wires connecting the robot to the controller. Some of the people I work with have pieced together radio control cars and other parts to get radio control robots.

If you prefer robot kits, some hobby stores sell a few inexpensive ones that are sometimes configurable like these

http://www.kitsusa.net/phpstore/html/Robot-Kits---Non-Soldering-1-1.html

Otherwise some of the less expensive construction kits like LEGO or K-NEX or Construx or a few others have motors and gears in the kits. If you have a larger budget, Lego Mindstorms, Bioloid and several others are more advanced kits that are programmable and autonomous.

Some important terms to keep in mind are:

operator controlled- the robot has motors in it, maybe some electronics, it doesn't move until you push a button or lever on the controller.

remote control - usually connects the robot to the controller by a wire, you can usually keep the batteries in the controller to make the robot lighter.

radio control - the controller is a transmitter, the robot has a receiver on it, both need batteries or some other power suppy.

autonomous - you set up the robot and hardwire it or program it to run sets of commands, when you set it down and turn it on it runs the commands. Usually requires programming knowledge (like BASIC, C language, Assembly, ForTran, COBOL or some others) and electronics knowledge (like soldering, power supply vs. load, Programmable Logic Arrays, Trans/ceivers, sensors, and many other options). But of course it is the most fun.

sensory feedback - the robot can have switches, sensors or detectors on it that send information back to the controller (or its processor if it is autonomous). Might require a transmitter on the robot and a receiver in the controller (with some indicators to tell you what the robot is "sensing").

Anthropomorphism - "the attribution of uniquely human characteristics to non-human" things and critters.

There is a ton of things that can go together to make a robot. If you learn how to fix toys, appliances and cars it definitely helps you figure out robots.