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How to Make a BEAM Bot

A BEAM bot -- which stands for stands for biology, electronics, aesthetics and mechanics -- is a self-sufficient, analog electric robot that reacts to its surroundings in a direct way. They are easy to build and generally serve very few functions. The cornerstone of a good BEAM bot is its simple design. With a handful of off-the-shelf and inexpensive components, you can build your own. One of the easiest BEAM bots to make involves two simple electric motors, wheels and a miniature solar panel.

Things You'll Need

Four Popsicle sticks
Wood glue
Three plastic bottle caps
Small utility knife
Two 0.5-volt electric motors with leads
Small zip ties
Superglue
Two miniature 1.5V 50mA solar cells with leads

Instructions

- 1
  Form a square using four Popsicle sticks. Make sure the ends of the sticks overlap so they can be glued together.
- 2
  Use wood glue to affix the four Popsicle sticks together as previously arranged. Allow the wood glue to dry.
- 3
  While the glue is drying, punch a very small hole in the center of two plastic bottle caps, using a utility knife. These will serve as the wheels for your solar-powered BEAM bot.
- 4
  Carefully slide one punctured bottle cap, flat side first, onto the axle of an electric motor. Do not push the bottle cap all the way to the base of the axle. Do this a second time for the other electric motor.
- 5
  Ensure the bottle caps are secure on the axle of each motor. Use few drops of super glue where the cap meets the axle, to permanently secure them together.
- 6
  At one of the corners of the Popsicle stick frame, affix one of the motor and wheel assemblies. Do this by wrapping zip ties around the sticks and the motor. If necessary, use superglue. However, be careful not to use too much superglue, since the motor may need to be repositioned later on. Ensure the motor faces outward and that the bottle cap wheel raises the fixture off a flat surface.
- 7
  Repeat Step 6 on the opposite side of the Popsicle stick frame. Ideally, both motors will sit opposite each other on the same horizontal axis, both facing outward. At this point, you will have two motors with wheels, and the bot will begin to resemble a car with two front wheels.
- 8
  Affix the third bottle cap to the rear bottom of the robot, using superglue. This simplifies the design and eliminates the requirement for two extra wheels. The cap serves as a low-drag skid for the rear of the robot.
- 9
  Wire one of the miniature solar panels to one of the electric motors. Do the same with the second miniature solar panel and motor, ensuring the wiring polarity is reversed. Shine a flashlight on the panels, to ensure both motors spin toward the front of the robot. If both of them spin backward, reverse the wiring on both motors.
- 10
  Affix the solar panels to the top of the Popsicle stick frame, using superglue. Try not to block the top part of the panels, as this reduces the amount of energy they can absorb from the sun or another light source.
- 11
  Try out your new robot. On a flat, smooth surface, the robot should move forward on its own in bright sunlight or other light.

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