This tutorial will show you how to build Vivus the Robot, an autonomous, self navigating little robot. You can get the Vivus the Robot Kit from the BW Science Labs Store here.

Step 1: Chassis

Your robot kit includes 2 flat wooden boards. Superglue both of these together, one on top of the other. You can use superglue, wood glue, double-sided tape, whatever you have on hand. There, you now have a chassis, or body, that you will build your robot on! You’ll then want to put a piece of double-sided foam tape on each side of your chassis. If you don’t have foam tape, then just about any other adhesive or glue will do the trick.

Step 2: Motor Gearbox

Alright, now you’re going to build the motor gearbox. This is the most tedious part, and will test your inner-robot builder. When I put this together my first time it took me about 25 minutes. The important thing is to relax, take it step by step, and not lose any of the tiny pieces.

Here are the side and top views of the gearbox. There are a few ways to piece this together, I recommend that you work from left to right and take it slow.

Step 3: Power to Microcontroller

Attack the power clip’s wires to the microcontroller so that the black wire goes into the left slot in the bottom right and corner and the red goes in the slot to the left of the black wire. Screw down the screws so that the wires are held in place. Keep in mind that the microcontroller comes preprogrammed, so you don't have to write any code yourself.

NOTE: you may have received a different type of battery holder, where the wires are built into the box. This works just as well, but you many want to wait until the end to screw in the black and red wires.

Step 4:

Place the microcontroller from step 3 to the chassis by sitting it on top of the foam tape.

Step 5: Attach Chassis to Motor Gearbox

Place the chassis on top of the dual motor gearbox. Now this is starting to look like a robot!

Step 6: Prepare Wiring

Your kit comes with 4 wires. Strip off a few millimeters off of each end and bend one backwards over its self.

Step 7: Motor to Microcontroller Connection 1

Put one wire’s non-bent end in the back-left slot and screw it down. Now place the bent end through the left motor’s bottom hole that is protruding out of the side, so that it acts like a fish hook.

Step 8: Motor to Microcontroller Connection 2

Now repeat step seven for the next wire. This time, place it in the slot directly in front of the last slot, and put the bent hook in the left motor’s top hole.

Step 9: Motor to Microcontroller Connection 3

Now place the next wire’s non-bent end in the bottom right slot. Place the bent end in the top hole of the right motor.

Step 10: Motor to Microcontroller Connection 4

) Place the last wire’s non-bent end in the slot right in front of the slot from step 8. This is the slot on the right that is 3 slots back from the top. Place the bent end in the right motor’s bottom hole.

Step 11: Prepare Alligator Clips

Your robot’s brain is now connected to its motors! Well done getting thus far.

Your kit comes with 4 alligator clips. Connect 2 clips to the left and middle leads of each bumper sensor as shown.

Step 12: Hook Up Left Sensor

Now hook up the left sensor wire (on the end of the alligator clip that you just attached to the bumper switch) to the left slot that is 2^nd down from the top. The left lead of the bumper switch should now be connected to the left 2^nd down slot. Now place the middle sensor wire (that’s the end of the alligator clip that is attached to the middle lead) in the top left slot and screw it down.

Step 13: Hook Up Right Sensor

Now hook up the other sensor’s left sensor wire to the top right slot and screw it in. Finally, place the middle sensor wire (the one who’s alligator clip is attached to the middle lead) in the right slot that is the 2^nd slot down from the top.