PC Mouse Robot

We decided that we wanted to have some Mouse Problems at the house, but we really dont like to deal with the whole "Bio Hazard" stuff so we had to make our own mouse problem out of a Computer Mouse!

You can leave us some feedback at our website at www.hm-innovations.com and view our other projects!

We made a little robot that used the Mouse "right and left bumber" as "feelers" and it actually evaded several objects around the house. Except for our dog :( this little guy had fun till it died to our dogs superior E Mouse Hunting skills and malevoulous Jaws :( 

But I can say it was fun while it lasted, RIP Mr. Mini PC Mouse Robot

this is how it worked when the mouse ran into a wall one of the motors is stoped from spining which causes the other motor to take over and spin around and away from the obstacle. The happily continue onwards

This is our video on the project.

Step 1 Finding the Corpse

Okay the first thing you need is to find a mouse CHORD mouse it has to have a tail so were going to use the USB or Mouse Connection chord as a tail.

Once you find the mouse you want to use you need to open it up, do this by taking off the secret screws usually found under stickers or under the bottom mouse pads.

See the 3rd picture for the screw spots :P

Comments

[jpman]

which is the positive side ??

[Euan Robb]

hi great instructable one question though what type of mouse did you use?
Thanks

[coolkids]

good instructible i have a doubt can i desolder the other components?

[theharry]

ohh cool =D

[D5quar3]

 Thanks for posting this My only problem is that I got both motors to work except when the right motor stops it doesn't  start until you press the left bumper.

[HM-Innovations]

OH MAN! that happened to us the first time we built one, but we couldnt figure out why, we did the EXACT SAME THING on another mouse (the one you see on the picture) and it worked great, i think it might be a problem with the switches that the mouse used.

[D5quar3]

thx

[TheJediKnight]

Hi there! Great tutorial! I have an old Nokia 3100 cell phone I used in high school. Would that vibrating motor be okay to use or would I need something larger? It's a small phone so I'm not sure it would work out but I figured you may know. =D

[HM-Innovations]

Yea the little motor would work great, but you need to remove the weight at the end of the motor off. It looks like a half circle at the end of the shaft, this causes the motor to vibrate so you need to remove that unless you want to have a mouse jumping all over the place :)

[poppy24]

ok the robot spins in circles ONLY spins in circles pleez help me

[poppy24]

50 bucks in wire, soldering equipment , just to have the thing spin in circles, even tried adding model wheels and axles. thanks for the waste of 15 hours and fifty bucks for a dissappointed daugther and her science project.

[HM-Innovations]

Hey sorry i didn't respond sooner, i was out of the country for a few weeks. You can actually reverse one of the motor's polarity so it can go straight, you probably have them connected the wrong way. I hope that helps.

[poppy24]

do you HAVE  to use old typewriter motors or can use something else?

[HM-Innovations]

you can use anything else, even the small vibrating motors from cellphones. Just make sure you balance the motors so they wont vribrate

[henrybot]

the principle is the same on the beetlebot, actually some mouse/mice uses SPDT (single pole double throw) switches which u can use for the feelers.. anyway, GOOD JOB!

[TSC]

sweet good job

[funnyfoo0]

amazing instructable

[AndyGadget]

Brilliantly Done!
The only problem I can see is getting suitable sized motors.  The easily available ones tend to be either mobile phone vibrator sized ones or the larger cylindrical type. 

[HM-Innovations]

oh I know, we have a few of the vibrator sized ones but we couldn't figure out how to remove the vibrator part from the motor so we had to improvise haha.... but it didn't matter, my dog killed our mouse :( all the work for a few hours of Human fun, and 1 minute > dog fun

[AndyGadget]

If the weights are the split type, make a tool out of a rubber (eraser) and a couple of steel pins, around 1/16" x 1".  Push them in parallel so they rest against the flat of the weight.  Put the thing in a vice to apply pressure against the weight and that will open things up enough to pull the motor free.
If they're the solid type, a few seconds with a micro-blowtorch then a swift tug usually works.