Introduction: Move Circuit Assembly

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In this tutorial, you'll learn how to add the Move circuit assembly to a design.

When you assemble the Move circuit assembly with real electronic components like a vibration motor and switch, you create a design that jitters and moves!

Step 1: Finding Circuit Assemblies in the Shapes Panel

Circuit Assemblies can be found in their own category in the Shapes Panel.

Instructions

  1. Click the Shapes Panel dropdown and select Circuit Assemblies from the list.
  2. Notice how for each circuit assembly, there is a corresponding Cutout.
  3. Continue to the next step to explore the Move circuit assembly and Cutout.

Step 2: Move Circuit Assembly and Cutout

The Move circuit assembly on the right consists of a few different parts: a 3D printed holder (in red), a vibration motor, a slideswitch, and a battery. The slideswitch is used to power the motor on and off, which will make your design move around when placed on a smooth, flat surface.

The Move Cutout is a special hole designed to create a cavity for the Move circuit assembly within a design.

Instructions

  1. Drag out the Move circuit assembly into the editor.
  2. Drag out the Move Cutout into the editor.
  3. Continue to the next step.

Step 3: Explore Move Circuit Assembly and Cutout

In this step, we'll align the Move circuit assembly and Cutout before adding it to the Bumblebee design.

Instructions

  1. Select both the Move Cutout and the Move circuit assembly and click the Align button. Center both on the workplane by clicking on the two middle dots along the workplane.
  2. Continue to the next step.

Step 4: Make the Bumblee Transparent

Let's make the Bumblebee transparent to make it easier to see how the cutout and circuit assembly fit inside.

Instructions

  1. Select the Bumblebee, click on the Solid color in the inspector, and check the transparent box.
  2. Continue to the next step.

Step 5: Applying the Cutout

Now you're ready to add the Move circuit assembly to the Bumblebee. We'll need to ensure that there is room to access the switch on the back of the circuit assembly so you can easily turn the vibration motor on and off.

Instructions

  1. Click on the Top side of the View Cube to make it easier to position the objects in your design.
  2. Select the Bumblebee, the Move cutout, and the Move circuit assembly, click the align button, and align them so that they are centered across the width of the bumblebee. Next, align all three shapes along the back edge of the Bumblebee. Check out the animation above for help.
  3. Select the Bumblebee and the cutout (do not select the Move Circuit Assembly) and group them to apply the cutout to the Bumblebee. Note that once you group your Cutout with a design, the new group cannot be scaled. This is to make sure your design will still fit around the Circuit Assembly!
  4. Rotate the camera to check how the cutout has created a cavity in the Bumblebee that we can fit the Move Circuit Assembly into.
  5. Continue to the next step.

Step 6: 3D Print Your Design

When exporting your circuit assembly, you will want to export it separately from your design. In this step, we'll export the Bumblebee and Move circuit assembly individually.

Instructions:

  1. Select the Move circuit assembly and click the Export button.
  2. Ensure that "The selected shape" is selected and select .STL to export the circuit assembly for 3D printing. Exporting the circuit assembly will only export the 3D-printable components in the assembly. The electronic components will not be included.
  3. Select the Bumblebee and click the Export button.
  4. Ensure that "The selected shape" is selected and select .STL to export the Bumblebee for 3D printing.
  5. Continue to the next step.

Step 7: Gather Your Parts

After 3D printing your parts, you will need three electronic components to build your Move Circuit Assembly:

  1. Vibration motor
  2. Slideswitch
  3. Coin cell battery

    Find all Move electronic components on Sparkfun

    You will be leaving Tinkercad and taken to an external site when you click the link above.

    Note: Coin cell batteries can cause serious injury if swallowed. Keep coin cell batteries out of reach of small children!

    You'll also need the following parts and tools:

    1. The 3D printed Move Circuit Assembly holder
    2. Needle-nose pliers

    Instructions:

    1. Gather all your electronic components, your 3D printed Move holder, and needle-nose pliers.
    2. Continue to the next step.

    Step 8: Add the Vibration Motor

    1. Peel the adhesive backing from the vibration motor and stick the motor to the back of the 3D printed holder.
    2. Guide the blue wire into the channel on the left side of the holder such that the exposed part of the wire is at the center of the base. In the next step, we'll add the battery, which needs to make contact with the exposed end of the blue wire.
    3. Continue to the next step.

    Step 9: Place Your Coin Cell Battery Into the Holder

    1. Add your coin cell battery into the holder with the positive side (+) of the battery facing up. The negative side of the battery should be touching the blue wire. Make sure that the red wire from the vibration motor is not underneath the battery.

    Step 10: Add Your Slideswitch

    1. Add your slideswitch through the front of the holder so that the three pins face the back of the assembly and the bottom pin is touching the positive side of the battery. Press down on the battery when inserting the switch to ensure the battery is underneath the switch pins.
    2. Continue to the next step.

    Step 11: Connect the Vibration Motor and Slideswitch

    The last step is to connect the vibration motor to the switch so it's easy to turn on and off.

    1. Thread the positive (red) wire from the vibration motor into the hole of the middle pin of the slideswitch, ensuring that the wire does not touch the bottom pin of the switch.
    2. Use needlenose pliers to help secure the wire to the pin and ensure that the wire does not touch any other pin of the slideswitch.

      HINT:

      You may want to slide the switch to the top position to prevent your motor from turning on when you are wiring the switch.

    Step 12: Turn the Switch On!

    1. Turn the Move Circuit Assembly on by pulling the switch to the bottom position. At this point, your assembly should be moving!

      HINT:

      If your motor is not turning on, try taping the blue wire of your motor to the bottom of the battery to ensure a good connection.

  1. In the next step, we'll add your 3D printed bumblebee to your Move Circuit Assembly. Continue to the next step.

    2. Step 13: Press Fit the Move Circuit Assembly and Bumblebee

    1. Turn off your Move circuit assembly so it will be easier to add to the Bumblebee.
    2. Place the Bumblebee and Move circuit assembly on a flat surface and slide the circuit assembly into the back of the Bumblebee.
    3. Continue to the next step.

    Step 14: Make Your Bumblebee Move!

    Now you can make your Bumblebee move by turning your switch on and off.

    Congratulations, you’ve built the Move Circuit Assembly! Now that you've learned how Move works, try designing your own model from scratch to fit around the circuit assembly.