Irresistible! A collection of motor-craft ideas that will captivate adults

How to make a basic robot

[How to Make a Basic Robot] Elementary School Robocon 2021 Programming Robot Online Competition / ROBOCON Official [robot contest]

Build a robot with your own hands! We’ll show you how to make a basic robot.

These days, you see robots active in all kinds of roles.

In fast-food restaurants there are robots that carry food and drinks, and some households even keep robotic pets.

This time, let’s try making a simple robot.

You’ll need a ruler, scissors, a pen, thick paper or cardstock, batteries, a battery holder, a switch, a motor, wires, and so on.

Even if it’s your first time trying a motor-based project, give it a try!

Mini Take-copter

[Beginner DIY] I tried making a mini Take-copter using a small motor

This is an idea to make a miniature version of the Take-copter, a classic secret gadget from the anime Doraemon.

It uses small brushless motors typically used for building drones, and the Take-copter body is 3D-printed.

A simple circuit connects three components—power, motor, and switch—and when the switch is turned on, it flew beautifully.

Since changing the voltage alters the motor’s RPM, with some tuning it looks like it could lift a small figurine.

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Hane Keisuke

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A train running on rails

I made a train that runs on rails using motor power #Shorts

You can make a train that runs on rails using things like plastic bottle caps, milk cartons, dry-cell batteries, and a motor.

If you’re a railway enthusiast, adding clever touches to the body will make it feel more authentic and even more exciting.

You can transmit the motor’s power to the wheels with a rubber band, so it’s good to remember that mechanism.

If you make a line down the center of the rails with thick paper or similar material, the wheels won’t be able to cross over it, so the train will stay on the track.

It’s a lot of fun, so definitely give it a try.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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bench-top disc sander

You can make it compact by using a small motor [DIY Desktop Disc Sander]

If you’re someone who frequently does DIY as a hobby, I’d love for you to try making this benchtop disc sander.

Buying one can cost tens of thousands of yen, so why not keep expenses down by building it yourself? Beyond the savings, using a tool you made with your own hands to create projects can bring immense satisfaction.

It does require precise work, such as cutting and assembling wood, but if you love making things, you’ll likely find yourself completely absorbed! As you go, try experimenting—thinking along the lines of “If I tweak this part, it might be easier to use”—and keep refining your design.

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Hane Keisuke

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car lift

It’s a mechanism that connects a cardboard arm to a motor to demonstrate a rectangle moving in parallel.

The motor used is a servo motor that makes a firm lifting motion, and by attaching an arm with a joint here, it creates a distinctive movement.

A car lift is a clear example of this motion: when you set it up so that the arm and the car move together, you can clearly see the direction in which forces are applied.

Although the mechanism is unique, the movement itself is simple, so it could be interesting to think about other systems where it could be used.

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kappamaki

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Pulley

This content is about creating a pulley that transmits a motor’s motion to move objects, using a combination with cardboard.

Depending on how you construct the cardboard base and mechanism, and where you place the motor, the movement will look different.

Here, a crane shape is the standard: the motor’s motion is transferred to a string layered onto the crane’s base to lift whatever is attached at the end.

Because the motion is simple, there’s a wide scope for customization, and you can demonstrate various movements depending on how you apply it.

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kappamaki

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Vibrating robot

We often see robots that move using motors, but a robot whose body is literally the motor and the battery is quite rare, isn’t it? In this project, the battery itself becomes the robot’s body.

First, make arms and legs from ice pop sticks and attach them to the battery with a hot glue gun.

Once they’re attached, add a motor as the head.

If you orient the spinning part toward the back, the motor’s rotational force will propel the robot forward so it “walks” ahead.

It’s a very fun idea-robot, so give it a try!

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Power Viking

No.49 | Power Viking | How-to Video

This is a Viking ship you can play with by powering it manually.

Since it runs on human-generated power, you can make it swing intensely depending on your effort.

It’s exciting to see if you can build up enough momentum to make it do a full rotation.

The way the electricity is generated is by pressing the rubber part of the generator horizontally against the edge of a desk and moving it side to side, which produces electricity in the generator, powers the motor, and makes the Viking ship sway.

It’s a very interesting craft because you can physically experience how a motor works.

Give it a try and build one yourself!

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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private power generator

@kiki.movie7♬ Natural food, cooking and recipes, cooking background music(1324745) – MATSU

This is a video not of running a motor with batteries, but of having created a generator by building a device that spins perpetually.

On a single bicycle wheel, plastic bottles half-filled with water are attached at equal intervals, and by spinning it, they were able to generate enough electricity to power a fan and a light bulb.

The water inside the bottles moves on its own, which seems to make it harder for the wheel to stop due to that force.

Eco-friendly power generation methods are always a subject of research, and this is very interesting.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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running airplane

[Summer Vacation Craft] I tried making a summer vacation project using a Mabuchi motor [Model]

This is a craft recipe published on the website of Mabuchi Motor, a company that manufactures and sells motors.

It’s an airplane that doesn’t fly, but runs by spinning its propeller and turning its wheels.

Templates for the necessary parts, including the airplane body, and assembly instructions are available, so you can start building as soon as you gather the materials.

The key point is that the motor’s power is transmitted to two systems: the propeller and the wheels.

The propeller is connected directly via a pulley, while the wheels receive power by looping a rubber band over the pulley.

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Hane Keisuke

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