How to Make a Mini Homemade Robot with a Wooden Clothespin (DIY)

Any introduction to robotics usually involves buying a kit or specific accessories that aren't always friendly to the wallet, but the truth is we need much less than we imagine. In this project, the main structure is a wooden clothespin, like the ones you use to hang clothes. A battery, office clips, a couple of LEDs, wires, and a small vibration motor complete the specifications of this mini homemade robot. What are you waiting for?

Computer science, electronics, robotics… despite their extraordinary advances, they remain the professions of the future due to the labor requirements that are approaching. Our dependence on robots will only grow, and besides building them, we also have to program them.

So, where do we start? What is the key to teaching kids the possibilities of these fields? And if the educational/work aspect isn't a priority, why not turn them into a hobby? We recently talked about Nybble, an open-source robotic cat that's very easy to assemble and modify. It would be great to have one… but it costs $225. If the plan is to find a (much) cheaper alternative… then nothing better than a wooden clothespin:

Build a mini homemade robot

A vibration motor trapped in the clothespin, some glue to hold the LEDs in position, two wires connecting the LEDs (in parallel) and the motor, a bit of solder (optional), three office clips that serve as legs for the robot, a standard CR2032 battery (you can use a holder, but it's also optional), contact with positive and negative, and that's it. Your homemade robotic bug will vibrate and move until the battery is out of commission.

The design is basic no matter how you look at it, and the best part is that we probably already have the parts. An old phone could donate its vibration motor (as long as it works with a minimum of 3V), while the battery comes from a watch or an old motherboard (a pack of 5 or 6 CR2032 costs less than two euros)

From here, the sky is the limit. Your mini homemade robot can use more powerful batteries, or additional motors placed in specific positions. Nothing stops you from gluing two clothespins together to increase the size of the structure, which leads to more parts and larger power sources… and when it's too late, you'll have a Decepticon on the table. That's how it starts.

Access the tutorial: Click here