This miniball project has its roots in the old BEAM Miniball kit published by Solarbotics. It's still a cool kit, so we're going to show you how built a simpler version. This project is spearheaded by Mr. Jerome Demers ( aka Robomaniac ), our intern at Solarbotics!
This robot uses a solar engine circuit. A small solar cell by itself generally doesn't have the power to make a motor move, so you have to store this power up in a capacitor, which is a small battery-like storage device. When the circuit sees that there is enough power stored, it releases it in a burst to the motor, getting useful work.
With this project, our solar engine will be powering a small car in a large plastic sphere!
This technology of using minimal electronics and simple mechanical design is call BEAM robotics.
The Miniball itself was originally invented by Richard Weait of North York, Toronto.The Miniball is a amazing robot - it uses a simple circuit and the robot itself proves to be very capable, rarely getting stuck. The Miniball is mechanically complex and electronically simple. (But don't worry - the mechanical part is still pretty easy)
In this case, we aren't going to build the original Miniball, but a smaller, more basic wannabe version. This robot is extremely simple and can take a beginner less than 2 hours to build.
The original Miniball has a geared motor that moved as a counter weight around a fixed shaft inside the plastic ball container. As the motor tries to move the weight forward, the ball starts to roll in that direction.
In our case we have a motor with wheel, which spins the ball forward as it runs.
Imagine this like a hamster in a ball - it's almost the exact same thing! But in this case, we're feeding our hamster with photons!
This robot uses a solar engine circuit. A small solar cell by itself generally doesn't have the power to make a motor move, so you have to store this power up in a capacitor, which is a small battery-like storage device. When the circuit sees that there is enough power stored, it releases it in a burst to the motor, getting useful work.
With this project, our solar engine will be powering a small car in a large plastic sphere!
This technology of using minimal electronics and simple mechanical design is call BEAM robotics.
The Miniball itself was originally invented by Richard Weait of North York, Toronto.The Miniball is a amazing robot - it uses a simple circuit and the robot itself proves to be very capable, rarely getting stuck. The Miniball is mechanically complex and electronically simple. (But don't worry - the mechanical part is still pretty easy)
In this case, we aren't going to build the original Miniball, but a smaller, more basic wannabe version. This robot is extremely simple and can take a beginner less than 2 hours to build.
The original Miniball has a geared motor that moved as a counter weight around a fixed shaft inside the plastic ball container. As the motor tries to move the weight forward, the ball starts to roll in that direction.
In our case we have a motor with wheel, which spins the ball forward as it runs.
Imagine this like a hamster in a ball - it's almost the exact same thing! But in this case, we're feeding our hamster with photons!
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Signing UpStep 1: Parts You'll Need
Mechanical Parts
1 - Transparent Plastic Sphere (80mm - get from craft store or hobby shop)
1 - High-efficiency Coreless Motor (Solarbotics part #: RPM2)
1 - Motor Mounting Clip (Solarbotics part #: MMFC)
3 - Rubber Wheels on Nylon Hubs (Solarbotics part #: RW)
2 - Paper clip
Electronic Parts
1 - 37 x 33mm Solarbotics Solar Cell (Solarbotics part #: SCC3733)
1 - 0.35F 2.5V Capacitor (Solarbotics part #: CP.33F)
1 - 6.8uF Tantalum Capacitor (Solarbotics part #: CP6.8uF)
1 - 3904 Transistor (Solarbotics part #: TR3904)
1 - 1381 Voltage Trigger (Solarbotics part #:1381C)
1 - Signal Diode 1N914, 1N4148 (Solarbotics part #: D1)
1 - Length twisted red/black wire
Tools Required
- Soldering equipment (soldering iron / solder / cleaning sponge) (HVW tech soldering tools)
- A pair of Needle-nose pliers (HVW tech part #: 43060 or 43061)
- A pair of Flush Cutters (HVW tech part #: 43040)
- Safety Glasses - VERY important when clipping and snipping! (Solarbotics part #: 5330)
We made a parts bundle of everything you you need to build this project (not including the plastic ball and hand tools). You'll have all the mechanical and electrical components to start making this neat lil' robot!
Click this link to get the bundle.
1 - Transparent Plastic Sphere (80mm - get from craft store or hobby shop)
1 - High-efficiency Coreless Motor (Solarbotics part #: RPM2)
1 - Motor Mounting Clip (Solarbotics part #: MMFC)
3 - Rubber Wheels on Nylon Hubs (Solarbotics part #: RW)
2 - Paper clip
Electronic Parts
1 - 37 x 33mm Solarbotics Solar Cell (Solarbotics part #: SCC3733)
1 - 0.35F 2.5V Capacitor (Solarbotics part #: CP.33F)
1 - 6.8uF Tantalum Capacitor (Solarbotics part #: CP6.8uF)
1 - 3904 Transistor (Solarbotics part #: TR3904)
1 - 1381 Voltage Trigger (Solarbotics part #:1381C)
1 - Signal Diode 1N914, 1N4148 (Solarbotics part #: D1)
1 - Length twisted red/black wire
Tools Required
- Soldering equipment (soldering iron / solder / cleaning sponge) (HVW tech soldering tools)
- A pair of Needle-nose pliers (HVW tech part #: 43060 or 43061)
- A pair of Flush Cutters (HVW tech part #: 43040)
- Safety Glasses - VERY important when clipping and snipping! (Solarbotics part #: 5330)
We made a parts bundle of everything you you need to build this project (not including the plastic ball and hand tools). You'll have all the mechanical and electrical components to start making this neat lil' robot!
Click this link to get the bundle.
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Heads up on the breadboard wire. This is not in the parts list but it is essential to keeping the wire from contacting the board.
We are headed over to Radioshack to find some breadboard.
They are really cheap, they where on sales for 0.99$
They had 2 size, small like the one in this instructables and much bigger. (4 inch )
have fun!
www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FKK/DB74/G5W7JD5L/FKKDB74G5W7JD5L.MEDIUM.gif
Thanks for your help
Mdob
I bought the bundle from the website. I can't tell the difference between the two black pieces (the transistor and the voltage detector) to be able to know where they go. Any advice? They are not labeled at all.
The 1381 is writting 381, the 1 is really hard to see/missing.
You can test the transistor because there is a diode between the base and emitter.
Take you multimeter in diode mode, then put the component flat side on the table. Touch the middle pin and the right pin with your multimeter and you should read around 0,6V. If you don't that is the 1381.
Good luck!
I used the beeper and I heard a beep too! I took the ohm and got 4M on a 4700uF cap.
Be sure to check all the connection and polarity of all the components.
Thanks
I am happy that you where able to find the problem on your own! Great job!
What it does do is let you store more power before activation, for a more impressive power burst!
probably about 0.5 kg would do it
You really need to make that robot light and have that third top wheel.
it looks exactly the same a well(the motor)
WICKED!!