Bristlebots

Prep The Toothbrush

• The first step is to cut the handle off the toothbrush leaving only the head as shown below. Next, you will need to cut a piece of double-sided tape and apply it to the opposite side of the bristles.

Attach The Motor

• Once the double-sided tape has been applied, you can mount the vibration motor on top of it. Place one of the motor wires on the tape and keep the other motor wire in the air. Make sure not to push the wire deep into the double-sided tape. The reason for this is because you need the exposed wire to contact the battery and it won’t be able to if pushed deep into the tape.

Mount The Battery

• Mount the button cell battery on the double-sided tape with the negative side facing down. Make sure it contacts with the motor wire that is on the tape already.

Add Feet To The Bot

• Once the motor and battery have been mounted, you can now add the pipe cleaner legs. These legs are not just for decoration as they help stabilize the robot.

• Bend the pipe cleaner legs down and around the toothbrush head.

Add Eyes To The Bot

• This part is optional and not needed for the bristlebot to function properly. Add eyes and any other robot decorations you want. This is a great way to show school spirit by adding school colors to your robot.

Your Bristlebot is Complete !

• Now is the time to fire up your bristlebot and see if it works. Bend the motor wire and push it between the button battery and the pipe cleaner. At this point, the robot should come alive and start moving around.

• Try experimenting with different variations of construction including using bigger motors and bigger brushes.