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Line follower, obstacle avoider, photovore and photophobe in $40
The $40 Line Follower - Step 2: Mechanics
Submitted by Pratheek on January 11, 2008 - 8:59am.
In this section of the tutorial I will explain the construction of the robots chassis(base, motors etc).
Designing the Chassis
For designing the robot chassis I used Google SketchUp, which is a free 3D modelling software. I didn’t include much detail in the model like the electronic components, wires etc.
Constructing the Chassis
8cm x 9cm HDPE base
Next you will have to mount the DC motor to the L-Bracket. The DC motors I used are rated as 100 rpm, 12V and 250mA.
As I told before, I bought the wheels from a local store. The wheels I used had a diameter of 7.5 cm. To attach the wheel to the shaft of the motor, I forced the shaft of the motor into the extended shaft of the wheel and tightened the setscrew.
You can also use ‘mini’ CDs’ as wheels and reduce the cost of your robot by 3-5$. The mini CD’s have a diameter of 8cm - perfect for our robot.
Screw the 2cm spacers to the base through the holes, previously drilled. These spacers will be used to attach the sensor module to the chassis.
Screw the four 2 cm spacers to the other side of the base. These spacers will be used to mount the main circuit board.
Stick a strip of Velcro to the base as shown in the image
The Velcro will be used to attach the 9V battery so attach another Velcro strip to the battery.
This completes the chassis construction; the next part is the electronics.