Braitenberg Vehicle Assembly
This is a guide to assembling the non-electronic parts of the Braitenberg vehicle. It is split into five parts: parts and tools, assembing the light sensor modules, assembling the 'visor' part for the sensors to stick to, assembling the body and putting it all together.
Click on the pictures to see bigger versions.
Parts and Tools
Everything you need to assemble the braitenberg vehicle (except scissors). A listing is available here.
Light Sensors
For each of the two sensors you need a banana plug, some wire (quad core shown), an LDR and the laser cut disk part.
'Visor' Part
The visor is probably the most complicated part to assemble.
It consists of a number of small rectangular parts held vertically between two curved parts.
They can be secured using 16mm M3 bolts, or with separators as we have here
(we list separators, not bolts, on our parts list).
Thread a M3 hex nut fully onto an 16mm M3 bolt and stack the laser cut insets onto it in the order shown.
Put the stack made in the previous into the grooves on curved piece with separators.
Add the other toothed insets in the same way.
Attach the other curved peice with 10mm M3 bolts (or just hex nuts if you haven't used spacers).
The last pannel in the stack of insets will not be secured at this stage.
Body
Next we attach the motor unit to the plate using 25mm M3 bolts.
These bolts are longer than is strictly necessary, but it makes the assembly much easier.
Now, a slightly tricky manoeuver.
Put the elastic band over the notch in the first side plate and put the other side plate in place.
The aim now is to stretch the elastic band over the notch in the new side plate.
It helps to use a screwdriver inserted though the hole in the new side plate...
... you can then pull the band through the hole, keeping it on the tip of the screwdriver all the way.
Once in place, do not to let the elastic band pull to hard on the sides until the the top plate is in.
Final Assembly
We now attach the visor using M3 bolts and wing nuts. The visor is held in place with two arms.
The long slots on the arm should be attached to the body, and the visor part attaches through the round holes
(they're layed out backwards in the image).
Next we attach the visor to the arms.
The bolts protruding from the visor go though the round holes in the arms and are secured with a wing nut.
Remember to place the rectangular laser cut insets onto the visor bolts



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