Things to Consider When Building a Robot

Robot fights have been a part of science

fiction storytelling for decades, but with
technology improving greatly over that past
few years these robots could go from science
fiction to reality. In science fiction these robots
have human
shape, mobility,
and thought, but
are completely
artificial. How
close is
technology to
creating a fighting
robot with all
these feature? To
answer this
question we have
to look at all the
different things
that would make
up a robot like
this.
STRUCTURE
To begin determining the most ideal
components to create a robot we will start by
determining the strength the robot will need.
We will try to keep the robot similar in
proportion to a human body. According to
mensfitness.com, the average human male
can bench press weight equal to his own
body weight and can squat 1.5 times his body
weight in addition to himself. For simplicity
we will assume that this means the thigh and
calf muscles are 2.5 times as strong as the
biceps and forearms(Duvall 2016). There are
a number of different types of motors that can
be used to control the limbs of a robot. Most
commonly used would be either a DC stepper
or a DC linear actuator. DC (Direct Current)

motors are typically used over AC (Alternating

Current) to allow for the use of batteries as a
source of power.
A stepper motor is a motor that has very
precise rotation which works by rotating in
specific steps or
degrees. These
motors are not very
powerful but can be
made slightly
stronger by adding a
gearbox to increase
torque. They are
good for having multiple levels of movement
because for each additional motor levels of
movement increase dramatically.
A linear actuator
works by either
extending or
retracting in a
straight line.
They are similar
to the hydraulic
arms used in large digging machinery. They
are however very limited on mobility because
they can only either extend or retract leaving
only one plane of movement.
In order to achieve the move human-like
movement using a stepper motor or a
combination of the two is the best idea.
Putting one stepper motor at each joint
will allow for high levels of movement.
Due to the action of walking requiring
mostly linear movement by the legs linear
actuators can be used to allow for more
power to be used without restricting
movement as much

The two most common metals for lightweight

support are steel and aluminum. Both have
distinct qualities that offer advantages over
the other. The most important qualities to
look at in this case are strength, cost, and
weight, and corrosion resistance.
The cost of the metals is constantly
fluctuating based of the global markets of fuel
required to create the product and the raw
materials. Aluminum metal is almost always
more expensive to produce than steel. This
is because the raw materials used to create
aluminum are more difficult to obtain. Very
rarely steel with be more expensive due to
the cost of transforming the raw materials into

steel to be higher than with aluminum.

also break if a high tensile force is applied

while aluminum would only bend.
Steel is less likely to deform or bend when put
under a lot of pressure or heat, but the trade
off is that it is much heavier. Steel is about
2.5 times more dense than aluminum (Steel
versus 2016). This is typically the biggest
decision in picking between the two, steel is
for when strength is more important than
weight and aluminum is for when weight is
more important than strength.
Another factor to consider is the corrosion.
One of aluminums best qualities is that it is
naturally resistant to corrosion. Steel,
however, requires an additional coating to
resist corrosion by creating stainless steel.
The protective coating to stainless steel can
be scratched off exposing the unprotected
steel below. Corrosion is typically only an
issue in a moist, damp environment.
Even in an environment where corrosion
is a possibility steel is still much stronger
than aluminum. In order to build a robot
fighter, strength is more important than
weight. A increase in weight can be dealt
with by using more powerful motors but
the need for a rigid skeleton is
unavoidable. Even a very small
deformation could cause the whole robot
to fail.

When comparing strength of the two metals

steel is considerably stronger than aluminum.
This means steel requires much more force
applied to it to lose its shape. This is not
always ideal, however, as having less
strength means that aluminum is also much
more malleable. So while steel will hold its
shape better than aluminum it will

POWER

to create its own power or using batteries to

reliable than lead-acid. NiMH batteries are

Every part of a robot needs power in order to

function. The most common ways of
powering machines is either using an engine

use stored power. For a human sized robot,

batteries would be the most practical but
there are still dozens of different types of
batteries each with different uses and benefits
it is important to identify the
differences between each one to properly
choose the best one.

significantly more energy dense than lead

acid, containing 60-120 Wh per kg. Time
necessary to charge one of these batteries is
roughly double that of lead acid but with many
other benefits.

Another type of battery is a Nickel-Metal

Hydride (NiMH) battery. This technology is
much newer than lead acid and has only
been around since about 1970. Due to being
much newer and the technology not being
fully explored yet, NiMH batteries are less

Lithium Polymer batteries are very similar to

Lithium-Ion but differentiates itself by the type
of electrolyte used. The electrolyte is a dry
polymer that does not conduct electricity but
allows for the exchange of ions. Due to the
dry polymer there is no risk from being

ignited like there is from most other batteries.

robot. If these nuts and bolts are at a higher

Becoming commercially available in the early

1990s, the lithium-ion rechargeable battery
Lead acid batteries are one of the oldest
is the most common rechargeable battery
types of batteries, first invented in 1859. Due used today. While testing for this battery
to the age of this technology it has become
began in 1912 researchers found it difficult to
very well optimized and understood.
keep the lithium ion stable. Lithium-ion
Because of this lead acid batteries are known batteries are among the most energy dense
to be very reliable but the capabilities of the
batteries available right now offering 110-160
batteries are not improved very
wh/kg and are constantly being improved
much or very often. Lead acid
upon(Whats the Best 2010). Recharge time
batteries are most commonly
is roughly the same as a NiMH battery but the
used in
power output is
automobiles due
much slower
to their high
leading to longer
energy output and charges. Despite
cheap cost.
the overwhelming
Unfortunately they positives lithiumare not ideal for robotics due to their low
ion batteries do
energy density. They contain from 30-50
have drawbacks.
Watt-hours of energy per kilogram of battery,
Due to the volatile
which is the lowest among common
nature of lithium,
rechargeable batteries(Whats the Best
the batteries are rather fragile. Each battery
2010). Charging lead acid batteries is also
must also contain a protection circuit to limit
very slow, taking from 8 to 16 hours to charge the cell voltage. In addition to these things
per cell. In addition to this, they also require
lithium-ion batteries are also very costly to
high maintenance in comparison to other
produce, costing nearly double the cost
batteries.
NiMH.

Unfortunately lithium polymer batteries suffer risk of falling out then the whole system is at
from very high internal electrical resistance
risk of failure.
which can cause slow activation times. This
rather quick, taking 2-4 hours per cell to
For use in a robot fighter, Lithium polymer
charge. The cost to produce a NiMH battery
batteries are the most ideal choice. Their
makes lithium polymer batteries unusable for
high energy density means that you will
anything requiring short quick bursts of
get the most power for the weight which
energy. Recharging time, cost, and energy
will allow for the weight of the robot to be
density are very similar to a lithium ion battery
kept down as much as possible. The
making their functionality very easy to
short charge times will also make
compare and could often be interchangeable.
charging more convenient. Most
importantly, however, is the stability.
Use of a small motor is a possibility as well
Since the lithium polymer batteries dont
but would come with its own set of
require any maintenance at all they can
complications. First would be a greater risk of
be added to a protected area without
failure. There are many ways for small
having to worry about accessing them
engines to malfunction. There is a chance of
directly later. They are also more durable
fuel line problems not allowing fuel to reach
than other batteries due to being built
the combustion chamber. Carburetor issues
from a dry polymer which is not at risk of
also occur and can be caused by either a
catching on fire.
blocked carburetor or a flooded engine.
Ignition is another area where issues can
CONTROL
occur. If there is a problem with the spark
plugs the engine will not be able to start.
In order to give a robot movement some form
Another potential issue with motors is the
of control must be used. There are many
amount of
different ways to control a robots movement.
maintenance. In
The most commonly used methods are
computer control, direct control, pose control,
order to prevent
standalone control, and wireless control.
issues like the
These different control methods can be
ones stated about
broken down or combine to create
periodic
customized controllers build for a specific
maintenance must
task.
be done to keep
things running
A computer-controlled robot is a robot that
is connected directly to a computer which is
smoothly.
creating instructions and delivering them
Escaping grease or accumulating filth can
straight to the motors or other appliances.
greatly increase the chances of engine
Creating a computer-controlled robot requires
failure. Finally engines create a lot of noise
customized software and hardware to work.
and vibrations. Vibrations can loosen nuts
Each motor receives an individual signal so
and bolts essential to the structure of a
the higher number of motors the
more complex the set of instructions needs to
be. This method of controlling is typically

separately. While people have good decision

making they cannot process too many things

used to control machines that are designed to

do complex but predictable tasks. This is
because computers are very good at handling
a lot of information at once but are not able to
react to a situation in which they were not
programed for.

at one time. This is very limiting to the

complexity of the machines that can be
controlled at all which is why this is typically
only used for simple machines.

with his right arm. The bebionic3 is a

fantastic example of how different controllers

using wireless control is that the input can

come from anywhere. This means a

Pose control is a method of controlling a

robot using a set of predetermined positions.
With new technology
Each preset position can have any number of
some computer
actuators making it very useful for making
programing can
controlling complex systems easier. It can be
actually learn and think thought of as a computer and direct controller
for itself. This is called hybrid. Pose control will take a single input
artificial intelligence, or from a controller and translate it into multiple
AI. While basic forms
actions. This is the most practical for most
of AI have been around standard robots because it allows for many
for many years, AI has things to be happening at once while still
seen significant growth in quality over the
giving full control to the operator.
past 10 years. As AI improves the computing
power needed for them to operate also
Nigel Ackland is a former industrial worker
increases. One of the most sophisticated AI
living in the UK. In 2006 he lost his right arm
ever created is IBMs Watson. The program
in a work related accident. In 2012 he was
must be run on a specific supercomputer
fitted with a bebionic3 prosthetic arm. The
created by IBM which originally took up an
bebionic3 is currently one of the best bionic
entire room(Is Watson 2010). Due to the arms available. While it may appear to be an
extension of his body, it can actually be
size and cost needed for high end AI control
considered a robot. The prosthetic arm uses
to work it would not be practical for most
direct and pose control and reacts to two of
robots.
his arm muscles as inputs. Using only these
two muscles he
Direct control is a form of control where the
can control the
inputs come from a person. This requires
rotation of his
some device to act as a controlled for the
person to use. Most commonly, direct control wrist and the
opening and
is used in simple machines with only a few
actuators. Because it is being controlled by a closing of the
hand. With a
person, a direct controlled robot would be
switch on the side
able to react to situations in a way only a
Nigel can change
person would be able to. While making the
between a
robot human controlled is the biggest
advantage to using direct control, it is also the number of
different grips or
biggest weakness. When being in control
poses that he can control. The different
one input will only result in one action. This
poses include point grip, key grip, small grip,
means if a robot arm were to have to joints,
power grip, and relaxed grip. This piece of
they are treated as two
technology has allowed Nigel to have much
separate motors and must be controlled
more usability

can be optimized for a certain task.

Standalone control is similar to pose in a
few ways. It is also a hybrid which uses
some computer computation that responds to
a different input. It differs from pose control
mainly by the method of input. A standalone
robot does not take direct inputs but instead
creates its own inputs based on sensors
connected to the device. A computer is
required for initial programing but is no longer
needed after the programing is done. A good
example of a standalone controlled robot is a
Roomba. A Roomba is a robot vacuum
cleaner that is designed to clean an entire
floor automatically. It works by driving in
straight lines while relying on sensors in the
front to
prevent it
from hitting
any walls.
When the
sensor
reads a
wall the
Roomba
knows to
turn and
take a different path. Combined with a
lightweight AI each Roomba can learn the
layout of a room by using its sensor and
pedometers making more efficient in future
uses(Sandler 2014).
Combining AI and standalone controls is
currently the fastest developing area in
controlling robotics. Creating and optimizing
AI that can respond to sensory mechanism is
an uphill battle. While huge improvements are
being made we are still many years away
from self teaching robots.
Wireless Control is similar to direct control in
that each input must be assigned to a single
motors action. The advantage to

contains both essential and nonessential

tools. Essential being useful for almost every

computer controlled robot would be able to

store the computer elsewhere if it is too large
to be contained on the machine itself. This
can be very important when dealing with AI
controlled robots as the hardware can often
take up a lot of space. The other advantage
to using wireless control is it allows for easier
mobility. Connections with cables can be
restricting due to the limited range cables
have. The disadvantages to use wireless
control are latency and consistency. Due to
data being transmitted wirelessly through the
air interference can sometimes occur. This
causes stability issues and in some with
some machines losing connection for any
amount of time can cause enough disruption
to lead to a malfunction.
For a fighting robot, the ideal methods of
control would be combining wireless and
pose control. This would allow for preprogramed moves to be set in place and
controlled by the touch of a button. While
AI technology is growing rapidly it is not
ready for this yet. If AI continues to
develop at this pace it could be capable of
controlling a robot on its own within 10
years. Once AI becomes advanced
enough a combination of AI and sensor
control could be a much better way of
control.
TOOLS
Many different tools are available to help
assemble a robot but not every tool is needed
in every project. Some tools are essential
and come in handy in pretty much every
situation but other can be very specific to a
certain build. Tools used can be categorized
by splitting them into four categories:
mechanical tools, electrical tools,
miscellaneous, and software. Each category

Tabletop CNC mill/lathe: A CNC mill or lathe

will allow you to create precisely cut metals or

situation and non-essential being tailored

towards more specific projects.
Mechanical Tools
Screwdriver set: It is important to have both a
small screwdriver set and a regular size
screwdriver set. The small set is handy for
working with electronics but is not strong
enough to be used on in all the situations
where a regular sized screwdriver is needed.
Needle nose pliers: Pliers are great for
working with small components. In situations
where you need a strong grip on something
small pliers will make it many times easier
than your bare hands.
Wire cutters: Wire cutters and essential if any
wiring is going to be used. It can be used to
fully strip a wire of its insulation making
soldering possible.
Standard Office Supplies: rulers, pencil, and
markers are all very useful in keeping things
organized and taking notes.
Rotary Tool: Rotary tools have a wide range
of uses and can replace most conventional
power tools needed for small scale.
Drill: A drill can be used create holes where
needed. This comes in handy for passing
wires through something or making screw
holes.
Saw: A saw is important to be used to make
straight cuts. Any custom sizing will need to
be done with a saw.
Vise: A vise can help keep your project locked
in place while it is being worked on. It is very
useful in combination with a saw or a drill as
you can count on it no slipping or
moving.
wiring and also will reduce the risk of
burning of melting the wires.
Brass sponge: A brass sponge should be
used any time a soldering kit is used to make
for a safe removal of excess solder.

plastics. They are very

useful for cutting complex
shapes not possible with
a saw.
Metal Benders: Metal
Benders are very important
for project needing wire
frames. Metal benders can shape metal
tubing or bars into precise shapes.
Welding tools: If your project is made of
metal, a welding torch will help create a more
permanent structure than with nuts and bolts.
3D Printer: 3D printers are excellent at
creating small detailed custom parts.
Electronic Tools
Breadboard: A breadboard is a tool that
allows for the creation of circuits easily
without the need to solder. It is useful if your
soldering skills are not fully developed or for
prototype testing.
Jumper Wires: Jumper wires are made to fit
into a breadboard to be easily used.
Power supply: it is important to have a
reliable source of power when testing
electronic. power supplies can be bought
cheaply and are very effective.
Wall adapter: When testing a wall adapter can
be used to avoid the use of batteries. There
are a few standard voltages in robotics so it is
important to get the proper voltage for your
components.
Soldering tool kit: To create more permanent
wires soldering will be needed to create
circuits. An adjustable temperature soldering
station will be needed to allow soldering many
different types of
Vernier Caliper: A caliper allows for
measurements many times more accurate
than a ruler.
Software
CADGoogle SketchUp: A free program made
by google which allows for basic 3D
modeling. It allows the users to create a
model in 3d to scale with complete textures.

Oscilloscope: An oscilloscope is a tool that is

used for signal production and analysis. They
are used to
troubleshoot circuits
and are very useful
when dealing with
analogue circuits or
periodic signals.
Logic Analyzer: A logic
Analyzer acts as a
digital eye that
allows you to see the output data from a
microcontroller.

Autodesk 123D: Another free modeling

program. It is targeted at hobbyists and offers
the same features as SketchUp but also
includes the ability to create assemblies and
solid part design.
Programming Software: There are many
different programing software available. The
software should match the microcontroller
used. In order to use a variety of
microcontrollers you can learn a programing
language such as BASIC or C.

Miscellaneous
22 gauge hook-up wire: 22 gauge is the most
commonly use size of wire for robotics. They
have a solid core which allows them to easily
be hooked up to a breadboard.
Third hand: A third hand is a tool which is SolidWorks: Solidworks is a fully features CAD
software. It is the primary choice for many
used to hold things in place while soldering.
people when it comes to modeling.
It acts as a helping hand giving you more
CAM: If a CNC machine is used you will need
freedom.
a code usable by the machine. CAD software
Hot glue gun: When dealing with wire
management a glue gun can be used to hold Is very good for creating models but cannot
convert these models into the needed code. A
wires in a certain position to keep them from
CAM program can take a model created by a
getting in the way. They are very cheap and
CAD program and convert it into code usable
can act as either filler or an adhesive.
by the CNC machine.
Tape: Tape is another useful adhesive.
Electric tape is commonly used when dealing
with wires since it does not conduct electricity.
Thick Wire: Larger wires allow for more
current to pass through and are also insulated
better, making them safer.

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AUTHORS NOTE:
From last weeks feedback you suggested that I organize my report to be presented like a
magazine. I really like this idea and I felt it fit much better with the theme and overall tone of the
report so far. I started to go down the path creating the appearance of a science magazine but
ran into a few problems due to the limitations of google docs. Firstly, I wanted to spit each page

into two columns to mimic the short lines usually found in magazines. Unfortunately google doc
does not have an option to split the text on a page. To get around this I had to create a table on
each page with two columns and then remove the borders. I had originally wanted to put some
large photos or figures in between each row but because it was in tables each picture could only
be in one side of the table or it would get covered up by the other table. I also had a few
minimalistic pictures picked on that I had planned on putting in the background of each page.
Again, google docs does not allow for background images so I had to modify this idea as well.
Since I didnt want to just leave the whole page white I added a few colored lines on the sides of
the page. I dont think it made it as interesting as if there had been a full page background but
Im happy it was able to add a little bit of color to the page.
In last week's authors note one of my biggest concerns with my project was how I felt I
had two different tones within the report. The switch to magazine style also solved this issue for
me. Ive noticed that magazines with often include occasional bubbles of text filled with of topic
information or something not directly related to the topic. I decided to use this to solve the two
tone problem by highlighting the different tone in a blue text bubble. My writing was targeted
towards people with little knowledge on robotics but are interested in what goes into creating a
robot. My writing structure throughout most of the report was short to the point paragraphs on
each topic. I tried to keep each specific note to only one paragraph although some had two. In
the tools section I decided to list the tools instead of writing paragraphs. I thought this was
necessary because there were a lot of different tools I wanted to address. Also I felt it could be
seen as a shopping list or checklist that could be easily referenced later