Mousebot Revisited

Mousebot from Make vol 2 is a fun introduction to robotics. So fun that I've created this expanded documentation of a Mousey build from start to finish, with a few extra little tips you won't find in the mag. This how-to is best understood after reading the original article from page 100 of Make vol 2 however it is probably not required.

Mousebot is a simple bot that uses two "eyes" to sense light and then turns towards the light. A single large "whisker" is mounted on the front of the mouse to detect collisions. A collision with a wall will cause the mouse to reverse and turn then take off in another direction. This project is pretty cheap, if you have a mouse to use the other parts can be obtained for less than ten dollars.

If you have any questions or comments you can get me at [e-mail]

Step 1 Gather Materials and Tools

MATERIALS
1 Ball Mouse
2 Small DC Motors
1 Toggle Switch
1 DPDT 5v Relay (Aromat DS2YE-S-DC5V works)
1 LM386 op-amp
1 2N3904 or PN2222 NPN Transistor
1 LED (any color)
1 1K Resistor
1 10K Resistor
1 100uF Electrolytic Capacitor
1 Audio Cassette Tape (you know, from the 80s...)
1 CD-ROM or Floppy Disk (for the bumper)
1 9V Battery Snap
1 9V Battery
2 or 3 Wide Rubber Bands
22 or 24 Gauge Wire (some stranded and some solid core)

TOOLS
Multimeter
Phillips screwdriver
Dremel
Small pliers
Wire cutter/stripper
Razor knife
Soldering iron
Desoldering tool of choice
Superglue or epoxy
Hot glue gun and glue
Hacksaw

Comments

[black9820]

Where shall i get LM386 in India Please suggest for it

[gunner2000]

sp road in bangalore

[Jenowl]

Hi, i plan to do this for my project. do you think you can provide me with the circuit diagram? It would be really great if i could hv the circuit diagram. pls help :)

[dany_11]

this instructable is very cool..i want to try this one..but i have a problem. i had only found a 6v relay and it only has 5 pins..PLEASE I NEED HELP

[henrybot]

the relay is for the backing-up movement of the mouse when it bumps to something so you can use that 5 pin relay for one motor only so instead of the robot backing up, it will just spins 'coz only one motor will reverse, here is my modified diagram of the mousebot. (and the corrected circuitry). i hope this will help you a lot.. Goodluck

[mr.future11]

well i did hav dpdt relay rather than spdt so was wondering how to connect 5 pronge. thank u very much for this.

[luudvig]

I found it alot more esy to solder everything to a circuit board, here's a pic of my mousebot's brain.. :P

[kiran1997]

Dude thnx for ur Idea , i have my junkbot ready and running thnx man!!

[chessman908]

i just finished making this and it doesn't work! i have no idea what i am doing wrong, it could be anything!
PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!
maybe like a schematic of something like that.
please respond ASAP! i am doing this for a science fair project and its due Monday!!!!! :0

[chessman908]

......................or a circuit?

[chessman908]

never mind i found something

[kidkid108]

how much will this cost in all?

[toxiq2011]

Hey, I just finished mine but unfortunately it does not work. Don't know what I'm doing wrong... One motor spins real fast & the other spins really slow.

Thought I had done some wiring mistake the first time & re-wired the whole thing again, but still the same issue.

Any guess's, adding in a pic of what I have as if now though.

[Vapolord]

hey dude i had the sam problem; once he had a circuit here and its different from the stuff he tells u; search for the circuit, it might be in the pdf

[mr.future11]

i mthe beginner of electronics student. can i be helped by anybody of following members who hav tried this project. i would great thankful 2 him or her

[ms10]

its a very cool project simple and great can you tell me where did you get all those things

[fluffybunnys123]

hi I can't find the lm386 chip but have a tda2822m. is this alright to use instead???

[sparkspooky]

PLEASE ANSWER...ANYBODY
hoe do you make a simple robot without programming to follow light=(



=D

[daliad100]

A circuit like this should do the trick although you will almost certainly want some bigger transistors/ darlingtons.

When the light level increases the resistance of the LDR drops causing the NPN transistor to turn on. The sensitivity of the circuit is set by the fixed resistor with a lower value needing a brighter light to turn on the motor.

The point in having the left ldr hooked up to the right motor and vice versa is so that when light falls on it the robot will turn towards the light until the intensity is the same and then drive forwards.

[The nerdling]

i might post how to post it it is really simple

[jwoo2023]

just make a robot going forward or open up a tennis ball and put a vibrobot in to it then it will move around.

[ilpug]

so, this is basically the same exact thing as the Herbie The Mouse-bot kit by SolarBotics, but built inside a computer mouse?

[The nerdling]

i know how to make a really simple one with two photo resistors and motors.
it only follows light

[thelastonekills]

hi, this is a good idea, 5/5
be cool if u could do this with a still working wireless mouse and have it still be able to opperate as a mouse :P

[R.A.T.M]

what voltage is the mortors

[cartilige]

I'm busy making a different project, but it requires a lot of similar components. I am looking for a LM386 op-amp but I'm finding it very hard to get, any ideas where I could get one. DO NOT SAY RADIO SHACK. I live in the UK and can't travel very far from Newcastle so where could I get one, if it is used in any household products I have aces to a whole range of them which I can strip down. Thanks

[jwoo2023]

maybe a amplifier? strip it down and try to find one!

[avishadur]

some stores (I don't know what equivalent of jaycar is in england, maybe they have one) will mail your components out to you so it can be just a matter of searching electronics hobby stores in the UK and checking if they mail out to you.

[coleyy]

http://www.radioshack.com

[thestyrofoampeanut]

 you are retarted

[magiccowy]

jesus read what he wrote before you comment he said HE DOESNT LIVE NEAR ONE

[milsorgen]

whoosh

[MelonSponge]

maplin

[robomaniac]

go at radio shack man!

[mmattson]

soundcard, modem, most devices that have an audio compononent. LM-386 is an audio amplifier.

[magiccowy]

+ is always the longer wire but look inside the actual thing and the smaller one is the anode (+) the larger one above it is the cathode (-) hope that helps

[jwoo2023]

thankyou very very very very very very much!

[jwoo2023]

Is the a mark?

[jwoo2023]

wow thanks a lot
!!!!!

[Vapolord]

i bulit this mousebot.
first i used a 32volt Electrolytic Capacitor ,but my battery was alwaysw dead.
with a 16 volt Electrolytic Capacitor th mousebot's battery has got a longer live.
both work....i hope i could help you jwoo2023