quick'n'easy light-sensitive bristlebot-mod

What's more fun than a bristlebot? Why a light-sensitive bristlebot, of course!  

What's a bristlebot? It's a vibrating robot based on a toothbrush. It uses a motor with an unbalanced weight (like pager motors) which causes the entire thing to skitter across a surface. Originally based on vibrobot, the toothbrush version (bristlebot) was made by the awesome folks at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories. You just need a toothbrush, motor, and battery.
 

We've built a couple of these and they are delightful to watch. However, we wanted a little bit more interactivity so it would react to something in the environment. Hence bristlebot-mod

 

The learning sensor is awesome because you can quickly calibrate it for different light levels. You can make your bristlebot-mod run in the dark, or run in the light. You can also make it run only in the right temperature, or when it gets loud, or something with the appropriate sensor.

Check out Iwasaki-san's bristlebot-mod-mod He uses a transistor to amplify the vibrations.

Step 1 Ingredients

- a toothbrush with uniformly angled bristles

- a vibrating motor, from a place like Sparkfun

- learning sensor, from Aniomagic

- a rectifier diode

- large battery

- some double-sided adhesive

 
Of course you could use a transistor, light sensor, and a few resistors, but you can't beat the simplicity of using a learning sensor, plus  the fact that you can easily calibrate it on the fly.

Comments

[shrajanvetcha]

Cool Project! I liked it
But, What kind of a Rectifier diode is it?

[rescoler]

Looks like the Learning Sensor is discontinued, what other sensor do you suggest to use without a microcontroller?

[darthmaul.8]

i think u forget the vibro motor ;D

[patriots8888]

where can you find, not buy, a vibrating motor?

[.Unknown.]

An old mobile phone? It looks like a small black disc usually.

[patriots8888]

ok thanks

[knittingaddictanon]

Hi!
I was wondering where I could get a learning sensor?

[TSC]

Cool!!!!! sweet!!!!!!!!!!!! 5 stars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!