Simple Robotics for Beginners!

For my very first instructable, I decided to do something that had eluded me for several months on where to start a while back;

R/C robotics and battlebots. 

The components that I used are hard to find now, but the good thing about this instructable is that it applies to all sorts of speed controllers, motors, and R/C equipment.

Step 1: Materials

For this instructable you will need a few basic R/C items, which do not cost very much if you have to buy them.

NEEDED:

1             R/C transmitter (Mine is a 5 channel, Spektrum DX5e)
1             R/C receiver (Mine is a Spektrum AR6115e, it has to be compatible with the transmitter)
1             Speed Controller***** (Mine is a Sabertooth RC-12 Dual)
2             GEARED Motors (I have no idea what mine are, I bought them from a friend)
2             Wheels for motors
1              X-Acto knife
1-2         Batteries (mine are 7.2v 1600mAh)
1             piece of foam board as big as your robot
10-20    Zip Ties

OPTIONAL:

Pen
Balsa Wood
Servo
Pliers
Wire Strippers
Wire Cutters
Screwdriver
Tape
Wire (mine is stranded 18 awg copper wire)

***** The Speed Controller is what will kill you (figuratively) if you do not pick the right type. You want a dual channel 5-10 amp speed controller which will power your receiver.

Comments

[AtomRat]

Excellent tutorial, and perfect timing as it was a subject talked about with a friend earlier this week. I will definitely give it a go! I have many RC 'toys' about the house, from choppers to hovercrafts, but some of them don't have transmitters.. I could use your technique here, but are there any better ways to link manufactured RC's to any transmitter controller?

[.A.]

There certainly are. Usually inside of the manufactured RC's (with controllers) there will be motors hooked up to a prebuilt motor controller for an infrared/radio transmitter, and an easy way to do this if the weight is not a concern is to just take out this prebuilt board and put your own speed controller/receiver (that will work with your transmitter) or Arduino inside (perhaps laptop controlled?). Same thing for ones that are not RC, except you will need to use a power supply that you attach.

The only thing to be careful while doing this is to know the input voltage to the speed controller, and make sure everything lines up well. I think this would actually make a great instructable topic!

[AtomRat]

I have not been able to use the adventurous Arduino yet, but it is in the to-do list. I know it has many capabilities and easy modules to attach.. I'm really trying to stay away from them for now as I am still learning electronic engineering.

[.A.]

Awesome! The Arduino is really great, I just got mine.