How to Make a Simple Robot With Everyday Supplies

Co-authored by Marvin Woo

Last Updated: December 16, 2022

This little robot will add to your collection of cool things to display! These instructions tell you how to build a small robot that lights up its eyes, for an inexpensive, fun showpiece.

Steps

1
Pick your LED lights and heat shrink. The two lights will form the robot's eyes. Optionally, get heat shrink tubing as well for added color. You won’t need more than 5 inches (13cm) of heat shrink for this project.
2
Clip a piece off of the heat shrink. Cut two small pieces of heat shrink, each about ½ inch (1.25cm) long. This should be small enough that the pins on your LED will poke out after sliding through the heat shrink.

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3
Slide the LED through the heat shrink. If you are using heat shrink, push the LED through until the light-up tip peeks out. Repeat this process for the second LED.
4
Shrink the heat shrink with a Soldering Iron. Start up your Soldering Iron and bring it close to the LED lights and the heat shrink. The heat from the iron should shrink the tube. Hold the LED with pliers to protect your fingers from the heat.
5
Select the battery pack. Get a battery pack rated of about 3v. This should fit two AA batteries. When you place the batteries in the pack, make sure you inserted them in the right direction.
6
Solder the LED and resistor to the battery pack. Take some insulated wire with the ends stripped. Solder these components as follows:
- Solder the negative (black) wire of the battery pack to the short terminal of the LED lights.
- Take a 100 ohm resistor (or a resistor close to that range). Without the resistor, the light will die out.
- Solder one pin of the resistor to the positive wire of the battery.
- Solder the other pin of the resistor to the LED's positive terminal.
- Connect the two positive pins of the two LED's.
- Connect the two negative pins of the two LED's.
7
Bend four paperclips into legs. Cut the paperclips such that they look like legs of the robot.
8
Solder on your motor’s wires to the battery holder. Solder the vibrating motor's wires to the positive and the negative wire of the battery holder.
9
Hot glue the motor to the battery holder. Hot glue the motor on top of the battery holder. Attach the battery holder's wires to the motor pins.
10
Finish your robot. Prop up your robot with the paper clip legs. Put the batteries in and watch your little robot light up and move. Keep it on a flat, smooth surface so it doesn't fall over.

Expert Q&A

Question

What if I have extra LED lights left over after making my robot's eyes? Do I recycle them?

Marvin Woo
Licensed Electrician
Marvin Woo is a licensed electrician and the Owner of Woo's Electrical & Appliance based in East O’ahu. With over two decades of experience, he specializes in troubleshooting issues and maintaining residential electrical systems. Marvin is both licensed and insured to complete electrical work in the state of Hawaii.

Marvin Woo

Licensed Electrician

Expert Answer

LED lights aren't usually recyclable. To be on the safe side, visit your local hardware store—many of these have special drop-off areas where different types of lights can be safely disposed of. Let them know that you'd like to get rid of your LED lights and they should take them off your hands.
Question

I have made a robot that swims and runs, but when it runs, parts fall of. What should I do?

Community Answer

You should try to make some adjustments. If it can swim, then probably the water is damaging some of the wires or something else important like the batteries. If this is not a problem, then maybe it's just a matter of figuring out how to better connect your robot together.
Question

What is a heat shrink?

Community Answer

Heat shrink tubing (or, commonly, heat shrink or heatshrink) is a shrinkable plastic tube used to insulate wires, providing abrasion resistance and environmental protection for stranded and solid wire conductors, connections, joints and terminals in electrical engineering.