If you ever wanted to get into robotics by actually building something yourself utilising 3D printing or teach someone else about the subject, but didn’t know where to start or look for inspiration, a modular robot, called Mobot-A, could be just the solution. The concept in itself is simple – first the electronics kit needs to be ordered from the makers containing everything needed tech-wise, such as the electronics board, motors, batteries and such. The second step is to download all the 3D models of the exterior parts and to print them out with your own 3D printer or at your local maker space. The third step is to assemble all the parts. The result, theoretically speaking, is that you get yourself a functioning modular robot for a reasonable price: the electronics kit costs $139.95 and the rest depends on the price of the filament used for 3D printing.
This robot concept isn’t just made up by some random enthusiastic garage tinkerer neither. The Inc. behind Mobot-A – Barobo – is a company with its origins in academia as it is a spinoff from the Integration Engineering Laboratory at the University of California Davis. The organization has a wealth of experience when it comes to producing functioning electronics infused into a 3D printed frame. The background also shows in the primary raison d’être of the Mobot-A – it’s mainly intended for transformative K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.
If you want to see how the parts are assembled and how the Mobot-A looks doing its work, take a look at the video below (if your short of time, the finished robot takes the stage starting from 4:00 minutes).
Source: Barobo
