Bristle Bot
This is a Fun Soldering Project
How To Build A Bristlebot
Bristle Bot Resources Links
How to Build a Bristlebot: Build Guide - Audio 🎧 / 📽️▶️ Video/YouTube
Bristlebots: Cool Vibrating Creatures! - Audio 🎧 / 📽️▶️ Video/YouTube
How to Make a Bristlebot | Science Project - Audio 🎧 / 📽️▶️ Video/YouTube
We are Going To Use A On/Off Switch & Solder The Wires
For our Bristle Bot, we are going to solder the connections, and use a Battery holder and a Slide switch.
Technology, Computers, Applications, Software Material List:
Access to a Laptop or Computer that can run a web browser.
We will be accessing the web site https://www.tinkercad.com/login
Can have students joint a Teacher created Class (Typically for Students 13 and younger)
Can have Students create their own account with a personal email (14 and up)
Electronics Material List: These are the main parts of this workshop materials: (one for each student)
One (1) Small Slide Switch <-- they don't have to be exactly these, but something like it - Amazon - Small Slide Switch
One (1) CR2032 battery holder <-- they don't have to be exactly these, but something like it that can hold a battery Amazon - CR2032 battery holder
One (1) CR 2032 3v battery
Two (2) LEDs <-- you could buy a mix of colors. any type of these small LEDs will work - Amazon - LED Kit
One (1) 33 Ω ohm Resistor (20 Ω - 33 Ω ohms will give about 10 - 15 mA) - Amazon - 100pcs 33 ohm Resistor 1/2w (0.5Watt)
One (1) Small Vibration Motor <-- again something small like these. they need to run on 3 volts - Amazon - Small Vibrating Motors
Building Material List: This is just a sample, really you can have any random materials: Stuff you might find here
One (1) Toothbrush <-- bulk cheap toothbrush - Amazon - Bulk Toothbrush pack
3cm (3cm) Double Sided Tape - Amazon - Double Sided Tape
Three - Four (3-4) Pipe cleaners (for Stability) - Amazon - Pipe Cleaners Craft Pack
Two (2) Googly Eyes (for Bling) - Amazon - Craft Googly Eyes
Three - Four (3-4) Wire 20/22 gauges of multi stand wire. This could be breadboard wires, you just cut. - Amazon - Breadboard Wires or 22 Gauge wire
Tools:
1-2 hand drills and some drill bits to drill holes
4-6 hot glue guns
1 soldering Iron for each2-4 students. So if you have 20 students, we should have 4-6 soldering irons to share.
solder
small needle nose pliers
wire strippers to strip wire.
Resources, Lessons, Labs:
Join a TinkerCAD Class - 📰 Slides / 🛠️ LAB Activity / ✍️ Signup
Simulate a Circuit in TinkerCAD Workshop - 📰 Slides / 🛠️ LAB Activity / 🪵 login
Build a BristleBot (Solder, Wire, Batteries, Switches, Motors) - ✨ Resources / 🖼️ Google Site Page / 🛠️ LAB Activity
What Students Will Know & Be Able To Do:
Login to and access their TinkerCAD account (Their own account or a Class setup by the teacher)
Understand basic Electronics Circuits, using an LED, Resistor, Switch and Battery
Be able to describe basic breadboard circuits and how a simple electronic circuit works
Solder 2 wires together. Solder a resistor leg to an LED leg
Prior Knowledge: What Students Should Know
No specific prior knowledge is needed
Circuit Diagram - With and Without LED
Next:
After you have a working circuit, where the battery holder is soldered on to the slide switch and then to the motor... Test it out with a battery. If that is working, then move on to the "Bling" part of the Bristle Bot project.
Bling:
Next you will attach your Circuit to the Toothbrush head.
Materials:
Toothbrush (cut off the head)
Double sided tape (cut about 3 Centimeters)
Some cut pipe cleaners for legs and balance
Googlie Eyes?
Build Step 1 - Here's what you'll need to build your own Bristle Bot!
Electronics Material List: These are the main parts of this workshop materials: (one for each student)
One (1) Small Slide Switch <-- they don't have to be exactly these, but something like it - Amazon - Small Slide Switch
One (1) CR2032 battery holder <-- they don't have to be exactly these, but something like it that can hold a battery Amazon - CR2032 battery holder
One (1) CR 2032 3v battery
Two (2) LEDs <-- you could buy a mix of colors. any type of these small LEDs will work - Amazon - LED Kit
One (1) 33 Ω ohm Resistor (20 Ω - 33 Ω ohms will give about 10 - 15 mA) - Amazon - 100pcs 33 ohm Resistor 1/2w (0.5Watt)
One (1) Small Vibration Motor <-- again something small like these. they need to run on 3 volts - Amazon - Small Vibrating Motors
Building Material List: This is just a sample, really you can have any random materials: Stuff you might find here
One (1) Toothbrush <-- bulk cheap toothbrush - Amazon - Bulk Toothbrush pack
3cm (3cm) Double Sided Tape - Amazon - Double Sided Tape
Three - Four (3-4) Pipe cleaners (for Stability) - Amazon - Pipe Cleaners Craft Pack
Two (2) Googly Eyes (for Bling) - Amazon - Craft Googly Eyes
Three - Four (3-4) Wire 20/22 gauges of multi stand wire. This could be breadboard wires, you just cut. - Amazon - Breadboard Wires or 22 Gauge wire
Tools:
1-2 hand drills and some drill bits to drill holes
4-6 hot glue guns
1 soldering Iron for each2-4 students. So if you have 20 students, we should have 4-6 soldering irons to share.
solder
small needle nose pliers
wire strippers to strip wire.
Build Step 2 - Cut Off Head Of Toothbrush:
Snip off the head, using pliers or wire cutters.
Cut the handle close to the bristles.
Build Step 3 - Test The Battery & Motor
Strip the end of the pager motor’s wires so about half an inch of the metal wire shows.
Touch one wire to the top of the battery and the other wire to the bottom.
The motor should spin vigorously.
Build Step 4 - Gather The Parts:
Collect the
Switch
Battery Holder
Vibrating Motor
And a short wire
Cut a short wire. About 5 cm
Build Step 5 - Solder The Short Wire to the Switch:
With the short wire (about 5 cm), Strip about 4 mm of coating off both ends
Solder one end of the short wire to the center (common pin) of the Switch
Build Step 6 - Solder The Short Wire to the Battery Holder:
Solder the other end of the short wire to the "+" pin on the battery holder
Build Step 7 - Solder The "Red" Motor Wire to the Switch:
Solder the "Red" Motor wire to the Switch.
It does not really matter which outside pin you solder to.
Why? Explain how the Slide Switch works
Build Step 8 - Solder The "Black" Wire to the Battery Holder:
Solder the other Motor wire (Black) to the Minus, "-" pin on the battery holder
Build Step 9 - Add a Button Battery and Test Your Circuit:
Insert your Button Battery in to the battery holder
Switch on you Switch
Your Motor should be Vibrating
Debug Steps if it is not:
Check all your Solder joints
Check that you have soldered to the correct pins on the Battery Holder.
Build Step 10 - Connect Battery Holder & Motor To The Toothbrush Head:
Carefully attach the Motor to the top of the Toothbrush Head. Take care to make sure the spinning head of the motor can turn freely, and is not stuck with the Double sides tape or Hot Glue
Carefully attach the Battery Holder to the top of the Toothbrush Head
Carefully attach the Wire from the Switch to the top of the Toothbrush Head
Build Step 11 - Add Some Pipe Cleaners As Support:
Carefully attach a few short "legs" made from Pipe Cleaners as support to keep your Bristle Bot from falling over
Test and adjust the legs as needed
Build Step 12 - Add Some "Bling":
Googlie Eyes?
Other decorations?
Competitions
Random Sumo? Random Maze?