How To Build a Smart Robot

1. Remove all parts from the box. Open the small bag of screws and parts and remove them from the bag.

2. Open the motor housing, and gently lift the motor out of the housing.

3. Test the motor by touching one of the motor’s wires against the positive end of a AA battery and the other wire against the negative end of the battery.

4. Put the motor back into the motor housing. Find the two tiny square holes where you pulled the motor out of, then feed the wires into the two holes. Make sure the black wire goes through the right-most hole and the red wire goes through the left-most hole. The motor should rest flat in the housing.

5. Find the two white gears, one small and one large. Take the smaller gear, and place the fat end into the white hole closest to the worm gear. The small gear’s teeth should rest against the worm gear. Then, take the larger white gear and place it in the white hole next to the small gear.

6. Cover the motor housing. The top of the large white gear should poke through the top of the motor housing’s cover. Make sure the cover is closed tight.

7. Now find the piece that looks like a small metal telephone. Slide this piece into the large hole directly to the left of the battery housing. Notice this hole has a notch at the bottom. Notice also that the metal telephone has a thinner end. Notch this thinner end into the notch on the bottom, and then push the top of the telephone into the hole above. You should hear it snap into place.

8. Now, hold everything so that the white piece is facing up. There are three small holes along the perimeter. Put a small screw into each of these holes and screw the pieces down. They should be very tight.

9. Now, turn the piece upside down. You should notice two red wires and two black wires. Thread the metal tips – and only the metal tips – of the red wires around each other and twist. Repeat with the black wires.

10. Notice the two metal rings next to the wires. Take the metal tips you’ve threaded together, either the red or the black wires, and push them into one of these metal rings. It doesn’t matter which. Push the other set of wires into the other hole.

11. Find the two small black pieces that look like binoculars. Push the ends of these pieces into each of the metal rings. Push them down as far as they go. These will be force the wires against the edge of the rings.

12. Now position the black pieces so that the circular tips of each overlap each other over the small hole next to the metal rings. Place the large screw into the hole and tighten.

13. Now put a AA battery into the battery housing. Turn the motor on by pushing the black button on the opposite side of the white gear. Turn off the motor by pushing the button again. Cover the battery housing.

14. Find the half-sphere with a black square box inside of it. Slide the white gear on the motor piece into the square box and push down as far as it goes.

15. Put the black rubber band around the perimeter of the sphere.

16. Cover with the other half of the white sphere.

17. Turn the motor on to make sure it works.

18. Now take the light gray piece with the four legs, and place it so that legs are touching the table. Place the sphere inside.

19. Cover with the black lid. Line the four holes on the lid with the four holes on the light gray piece. Tighten with four small screws.

20. Turn your robot on and watch it roll. It will move away from obstacles in its way. Don’t forget to decorate it!