Take me from zero to robot hero!
June 6, 2021 6:34 PM Subscribe
My son is desperate to learn about combat robotics and RC motors. I want to teach him. I know nothing. Please direct me to resources that will explain it to me from the top down assuming that I have absolutely no mechanical knowledge.
My son is 13 and wants nothing more than to build ant-weight and beetle-weight combat robots. He has such great concepts, but still needs to know more about the mechanics of how to make the robot move around. From what I can tell, it's basically like a remote controlled car with a weapon? So, for his birthday/with his birthday money he got this remote control and this speed control and a little LiPo battery and a motor that looks like this, but God only knows if that's really it. We watched this video and gave it a shot. We cannot figure out how to make the motor connect to the rest of it. The rest of the stuff kind of...clips together? This motor doesn't. My son was so disappointed, and I'm feeling thoroughly overwhelmed.
My son is neurodivergent and a gestalt learner, and he wants to learn by building a battlebot and learning the skills he needs along the way. He does not want to learn by doing little robot kits and putting the skills together to make something bigger. I'm sympathetic because I'm the same way, but unfortunately, I think it means we'll be blazing our own trail in terms of instruction. I promised him that I'd learn about about robots and remote controls in order to teach him the basics. I think once he knows the basic concepts he can take off from there.
However, I have NO IDEA how this stuff works and have yet to find a resource to break it down for me. I literally don't even know what Google terms to use at this point. Do you have a good resource that explains motors and volts and amperes and whatever as if I were five?
Also, we have a couple things in place to help him with this long-term (he's going to join his school robotics team next year, and he starts a basic robotics class tomorrow!) but I really want to help him learn this remote control stuff this summer. He's so eager to learn.
Thanks!
My son is 13 and wants nothing more than to build ant-weight and beetle-weight combat robots. He has such great concepts, but still needs to know more about the mechanics of how to make the robot move around. From what I can tell, it's basically like a remote controlled car with a weapon? So, for his birthday/with his birthday money he got this remote control and this speed control and a little LiPo battery and a motor that looks like this, but God only knows if that's really it. We watched this video and gave it a shot. We cannot figure out how to make the motor connect to the rest of it. The rest of the stuff kind of...clips together? This motor doesn't. My son was so disappointed, and I'm feeling thoroughly overwhelmed.
My son is neurodivergent and a gestalt learner, and he wants to learn by building a battlebot and learning the skills he needs along the way. He does not want to learn by doing little robot kits and putting the skills together to make something bigger. I'm sympathetic because I'm the same way, but unfortunately, I think it means we'll be blazing our own trail in terms of instruction. I promised him that I'd learn about about robots and remote controls in order to teach him the basics. I think once he knows the basic concepts he can take off from there.
However, I have NO IDEA how this stuff works and have yet to find a resource to break it down for me. I literally don't even know what Google terms to use at this point. Do you have a good resource that explains motors and volts and amperes and whatever as if I were five?
Also, we have a couple things in place to help him with this long-term (he's going to join his school robotics team next year, and he starts a basic robotics class tomorrow!) but I really want to help him learn this remote control stuff this summer. He's so eager to learn.
Thanks!
Best answer: How about hiring a tutor? This guy is a professional engineer offering robotics help for $5 an hour and he has good reviews, which could be a steal if your time zones coincide. (Also this guy and this guy both look promising.) You could write to them and see who seems the most ready to guide you and your kid into Battle Robot City.
posted by hungrytiger at 12:34 AM on June 7, 2021
posted by hungrytiger at 12:34 AM on June 7, 2021
As tempting and exciting as it seems with your remote control and ESC, it's along way, and lots of $$, from there to a working fighting robot. I'd suggest you concentrate for now on 2 things:
1) make sure he's successful and has fun with this class he's starting. Find out what systems they're using, learn about those so you can talk about his class better. Maybe buy the same system, if it's within budget.
2) Have some immediate payoff, with something simple that'll get you two fighting battles this week! Something like this non-electronic, glue and popsicle stick, hydrolic fighting robot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h9dATTGRms
If his class is _not_ using Arduino's or Raspberry Pi's or similar, I'd suggest that when the class is over (I wouldn't distract from the class), you might look at those.
posted by at at 10:46 AM on June 7, 2021
1) make sure he's successful and has fun with this class he's starting. Find out what systems they're using, learn about those so you can talk about his class better. Maybe buy the same system, if it's within budget.
2) Have some immediate payoff, with something simple that'll get you two fighting battles this week! Something like this non-electronic, glue and popsicle stick, hydrolic fighting robot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h9dATTGRms
If his class is _not_ using Arduino's or Raspberry Pi's or similar, I'd suggest that when the class is over (I wouldn't distract from the class), you might look at those.
posted by at at 10:46 AM on June 7, 2021
« Older I think this a craigslist scam but what can I do... | How do I get a 30 year old thesis bound? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
You're right that it's nothing more then a remote control car with extra bits-- the 12 channel controller you have essentially means "I can control 12 different outputs". Switch A might send a signal to CH10, the left-stick might send to CH4 (left/right) or CH2 (up/down) etc.
From looking at the manual-- If you plug your motor into CH3-- The right-hand side thumb-stick (up/down) should be controlled by that. (Throttle).
My son is neurodivergent and a gestalt learner, and he wants to learn by building a battlebot and learning the skills he needs along the way. He does not want to learn by doing little robot kits and putting the skills together to make something bigger.
Sorry, I'm not quite sure what 'gestalt learner' means-- a quick Google leaves me more confused, but whatever reasons your son can't do a kit--you could still buy one to learn the concepts-- then essentially rip out the electronics from that kit to use in whatever format best suits his learning style.
posted by Static Vagabond at 9:17 PM on June 6, 2021