Introduction: The Magnetic Dancing Robots
Introduction-How does it work?
The essential setup will be a thick hardcover book. Under the cover, there will be two (or it can be more) spinning around. On the cover, you can set up two metal-built robots, and they will be moving because of the moving magnets. (Original idea comes from: https://www.instructables.com/id/Dancing-Magnetic-...
This is my class project, and to check out more incredible projects please visit http://www.berbawy.com/makers/
Approximate Budget: $50
Material:
- Hardcover book. Make sure it is thick enough. I suggest at least 5 cm. I purchased mine from a thrift shop for $2.99
3v Geared Motor $4.3
http://www.amazon.com/SODIAL-15RPM-Electrical-Gear...Copper Tube $5.5
http://www.amazon.com/Copper-Seamless-Tubing-0-034...2 x Rare Earth Magnets. $3
http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-100pcs-12mm-X-3mm-Neody...Toggle Switch. $6 (I already have one but I'm sure you can buy it from amazon).
Wires (amazon)
AAA batteries(amazon)
Battery Pack(amazon)
2 x Washers $6
http://www.amazon.com/Steel-Washer-Plated-Finish-B...Random Electronic Parts (for creating your little robot)
Equipment:
- Hot Glue
- Solder Station (ii will be easier if you have a thinner tip)
- Wire Strippers
- Pliers
- Wire Cutter
Step 1: Making the Robots
1. Gather some random electronic parts then design what's your dancing robots are going to be like
2. I found two cylinder shape metals, different in size, and four resistors
3. I used the smaller metal as the head, larger metal as the body, four resistors as arms and legs, then soldered them together
4. Place a washer underneath your robot, the thinner the better.
Step 2: Preparing the Stage
- Find a book that's thick enough, large enough for a at least 2-inch radius circle and has the hardcover. I used a book that's 8.3 inch x 11.7 inches (about A4 Paper Size) and is 3 inches thick.
- Open the book, on the page under the cover page, sketch the setup of your motor, magnets, battery patch, and toggle switch.
- Measure the thickness of your materials, then estimate how many pages you need to cut.
- Cut the book by using a box cutter.
- Make sure that the size of the square where you set up the copper tube and the magnets is sufficient for spinning. My square was 6.5'' x 6.5'' the deepness of the square need to make sure that when magnets are spinning they do not touch the paper
- The second picture shows a complete setup
Step 3: Circuits
- To build the circuit, you need toggle switch, motor and battery patch and wires
- Solder the wires as picture shown
- Use red and black wires to represent positive and negative respectively. Connect correct wire to correct side on the motor. There should be a label at the bottom that tells you which side is negative and which side is positive.
- Be careful when you are connecting wires onto the toggle switch, positive wires need to lie on the same side.
Step 4: Place Magnets
- Cut your copper tube into appropriate length
- Bend the copper tube at middle to make space for the tip of the motor
- Place the circuit into the book first, then use hot glue to stabilize the motor
- Hot glue magnets on both ends of the copper tube
- Hot blue the tip of the motor onto the copper tube
- Test the circuit sees if it works before placing it into the book
- It would be the best to solder the tip of the motor into the copper tube. However, I tried but failed to do so. Hot glue is the second best choice.
Step 5: Complete!
- Stabilize the toggle switch and the wires by using tape (hot glue or super glue also works)
- Close the cover page, and turn on the toggle switch
- You can make some decorations by using cardboards and color paper like I did
- Possible Errors:
- The circuit could be broken (Solution: Redo the whole circuit)
- The Magnets are too far away underneath the cover (Solution: Adjust the height of the copper tube or use two magnets on each end)
