Make A Solar Cockroach Virbobot #SolarPower

Build a solar power cockroach virbobot for $2.50. via instructables

I had a blast making bristlebots with my 4th grade science club a few weeks ago, so I started thinking up new ways to make simple vibrobots to give away as gifts.

I came up with this very simple Cockroach Virbobot. It only costs about $2.50 and 20 minutes of time to make. Super cute and super simple.

NewImage

What you need.

Soldering Iron + solder
Hot glue gun
(A helping hand is nice as well)
Wire cutters or strong scissors

1.5V solar panel ($1)
Small DC Vibrating Motor (AKA Pager motor)
Two paper clips
Scrap wire (I used the ends from a couple of resistors I had cut down. They can be anything.)

Super Cute Option: Googley eyes

I bought a pack of 10 solar panels off ebay for $10. Great for a lot of projects.

I bought my motors from the online store Electric Goldmine for $1.10 each. I like the ones they have because they trigger at only 0.5V, whereas most trigger at around 1.5V. The lower trigger voltage you can get the better because it means that your roach will work under less sunlight. If you do buy from them be SURE to get the motors with the blue casing, not the silver. Silver ones suck for a variety of reasons.

If you don’t want to buy these in bulk, I have a kit and prebuilt ones for sale on my website. It’s a fun project you can do with kids or makes a great little gift you made yourself.

Full tutorial


Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!

Join us every Wednesday night at 8pm ET for Ask an Engineer!

Join over 38,000+ makers on Adafruit’s Discord channels and be part of the community! http://adafru.it/discord

CircuitPython – The easiest way to program microcontrollers – CircuitPython.org


New Products – Adafruit Industries – Makers, hackers, artists, designers and engineers! — New Products 11/15/2024 Featuring Adafruit bq25185 USB / DC / Solar Charger with 3.3V Buck Board! (Video)

Python for Microcontrollers – Adafruit Daily — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: A New Arduino MicroPython Package Manager, How-Tos and Much More! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi

EYE on NPI – Adafruit Daily — EYE on NPI Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey

Adafruit IoT Monthly — The 2024 Recap Issue!

Maker Business – Adafruit Daily — Apple to build another chip at TSMC Arizona

Electronics – Adafruit Daily — SMT Tip – Stop moving around!

Get the only spam-free daily newsletter about wearables, running a "maker business", electronic tips and more! Subscribe at AdafruitDaily.com !


No Comments

No comments yet.

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.