The Arduino Mothbot

Step 10 Making the Wheels

The wheels were a tricky problem for me. I had actually bot some certified robot wheels but realized they were a) too heavy and b) I had no way to attach them to my chosen servos. That's when I remembered using jar lids in high school for a similar project. So it was off to the store in search of a suitable robot wheel alternative.

Each wheel is made from the lid from a Ziploc Twist 'n Loc container. Other good lids are those on peanut butter jars or other food goods. I don't advocate wasting food but save up your lids and you might find one is the right size for your robot project. I used the leftover containers to hold parts I've collected.

1. The first thing I did was pick the servo horn I wanted for the wheels. I picked the ones that had four horns and that were included with my servos when I bought them.

2. Before you do anything, drill a hole in the center of the wheel. I recommend doing this with your 5/32" drill bit. You'll need this so you can get to the screw that connects the horn to the servo.

4. Now screw the lid to the horn. I used four included screws with each servo to connect the lids to the horns. It might be easier if you pre-drill tiny holes through the lid like I did. I used a 1/16" drill bit for this. But be careful, drilling through this plastic with a heavy drill and a tiny bit can be difficult.

5. Now connect the horns to the servos using the small Phillips (4-sided) screw driver.

6. Finally, wrap rubber bands around each wheel to give you more traction. I got my rubber bands from produce I bought at the grocery store. Hopefully you have a few lying around.

7. At this point the entire body and wheels should be assembled.