Steerable bristlebot via IR control

steerable-bristlebot

Looking at the size of this bristlebot the first thing we wondered is where's the battery? All we know is that it's a rechargeable NiMH and it must be hiding under that tiny circuit board. But [Naghi Sotoudeh] didn't just build a mindless device that jiggles its way across a table. This vibrating robot is controllable with an infrared remote control. It uses an ATtiny45 microcontroller to monitor … [Read more...]

Bristlebot mod never rubs you the wrong way

controllable_bristlebot

[Underling] sent in his bristlebot project that aims to put a new spin on controlling bristlebot movement. We have seen several attempts at bristlebot directional control in the past, but none of these methods really fit what he wanted to do. His goal was to use a single brush rather than two, and be able to aim the bot in any direction at will. He tried several different designs, but settled … [Read more...]

RC bristlebot shifts weight for steering

bristlebot-with-steering

This large bristlebot has no prolem steering itself by shifting its weight. It's easy enough to watch the video after the break and see how this works. But there's still the same air of "I can't believe that actually works" which we experienced with the original bristlebot. This is not the first attempt to calm a bristlebots movements, but we don't remember seeing one you could drive around … [Read more...]

Controllable bristlebot

[sprite_tm], whose projects we have covered in the past, took the popular bristlebot to an extreme and created a controllable version. A bristlebot consists of a small vibrating motor mounted with a battery on the head of a toothbrush. These micro-robots buzz around randomly, and he attempted to tame them. He used a platform of twin bristlebots and added an optical sensor from a laser mouse and an … [Read more...]

Battery teardown to get at the cells inside

battery-teardown

Most of what people call batteries are actually cells. All of the common disposable alkaline batteries from AAA to D are single cells. The exception is the 9v battery which actually has six smaller cells inside of it. [Tom] took a look inside three different batteries to see what cells they're hiding. Since he no longer uses the batteries for their intended purposes the individual cells may find a … [Read more...]

‘Vortex-drive’ for underwater ROV propulsion

vortex-drive-water-motor

This is [Lee von Kraus'] new experimental propulsion system for an underwater ROV. He developed the concept when considering how one might adapt the Bristlebot, which uses vibration to shimmy across a solid surface, for use under water. As with its dry-land relative, this technique uses a tiny pager motor. The device is designed to vibrate when the motor spins, thanks to an off-center weight … [Read more...]

Klackerlaken gets the common man excited about electronics

klackerlaken_vibrobot_web

The Klackerlaken is a combination of LED throwie and bristlebot. The bauble is easy to build and really has no other purpose than to delight the masses. The diminutive devices were first seen in the wild at the 2011 CCC (Chaos Communications Camp) as a hands-on workshop. Check out the clip after the break and you'll see why this really sucks in the spectators. We've seen a ton of Bristlebots … [Read more...]