How to Build a Robot Base
- 1). Find a radio-controlled car or similar device that acts as an inexpensive RC toy and features a wheelbase. You can find such an RC car in a brick-and-mortar store or an online marketplace for as little as $10 to $15.
- 2). Remove the plastic shell of the RC device. These are superficial and are not needed, so feel free to discard them.
- 3). Remove a number of key components from the RC device. You will need to salvage and pull out the green receiver board and the black battery pack. The two servos (motors) will also need to be saved in order to power your robot, but these can remain as they are on the remaining wheel base left behind after you strip the RC device of its other parts. Also, set aside the controller/remote. This will be needed to communicate with the receiver.
- 4). Cut a strip of Velcro into two pieces that have a surface area that is roughly the same as the receiver and the battery pack, respectively. Split each piece of Velcro into two separate pieces using scissors. One side of the Velcro has hooks and the other side latches. The hooks will fit into the latches.
- 5). Attach the hook of the Velcro pieces to the back of the receiver and the battery pack using a thin layer of toy model glue. Allow several minutes to dry.
- 6). Attach one of the latch pieces of Velcro to the top of the wheelbase and the other to the bottom of the wheelbase. Utilize your toy model glue again and allow several minutes of drying.
- 7). Affix the receiver to the top of the wheelbase via the Velcro pieces.
- 8). Affix the battery pack to the bottom of the wheelbase via the Velcro pieces.
- 9). Wire each component to the receiver board. This is accomplished using the channels or insertion points on the end of the receiver. These allow you to insert the wire leads from each component into the receiver. Begin by inserting the two-wire battery lead into the channel marked specifically as "Batt" or "Battery" on the receiver, depending upon the receiver model. Both wires should be inserted into this channel.
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Wire each of the servos to the receiver. Each servo must have its wire lead inserted into a separate channel on the receiver, and neither of these channels can be the battery channel. - 11
Turn on your controller. This will allow you to control the movement of the robot base. You may add decorative elements to the robot base and build upon it as you see fit.