stackable plastic boxes as robot body?

Translate This Thread From English to

Threaded View

Subject
Author
Posted on

Re: stackable plastic boxes as robot body?
Gordon McComb
08-28-2006

Re: stackable plastic boxes as robot body?
Jason S. Mantor
08-28-2006

Joe Strout posted on
August 28, 2006, 3:19 pm

rate this thread

EXCELLENT
VERY GOOD
GOOD
FINE
BAD

Report it

I stumbled across this stackable plastic storage box today:

<http://www.stacksandstacks.com/html/20605_iris-storage-box-snap-case.htm

It occurs to me that this (or several of these, stacked up and bolted
together) might make a convenient body for a robot project I've been
thinking about.  But that assumes that (1) I'll be able to cut through
this material (probably polypropylene, I would guess) without too much
fuss, and (2) there aren't any serious "gotchas" with using such a
plastic body that a newbie like me would trip over.

I'm imagining things like cutting rectangular holes on the bottom for
wheels, drilling mounting holes all over the place, and maybe some
ventilation holes or slots (if such are needed) on the sides.

Almost everybody here has more experience with this sort of thing than I
do; would you foresee any problems with this?  Should I be worried about
static electricity?  Breaking my dremel heads?  Explosive reactions with
anything that happens to leak out of a battery?  Something else?

Thanks,
- Joe

Gordon McComb posted on
August 28, 2006, 4:37 pm
Permalink

Re: stackable plastic boxes as robot body?

These particular boxes might be a little too lightweight to take heavier
components without some deformation, but the general idea appears to
work. Look up robots made out of things like plastic toolboxes. People
have drilled holes on the sides and bottom and have mounted things on
the inside. The plastic of toolboxes tends to be a little more rigid.

-- Gordon

Joe Strout wrote:

Jason S. Mantor posted on
August 28, 2006, 6:46 pm
Permalink

Re: stackable plastic boxes as robot body?

I've found that upside down $5 plastic "milk" crates from K-Mart work
great!  I used plywood for the base and cut it to fit snugly in the top
of the crate.  I did notice that they have mini crates too.  You could
do something similar.  I'll see if I've got pics somewhere...

Joe Strout wrote:

Huey posted on
August 28, 2006, 10:36 pm
Permalink

Re: stackable plastic boxes as robot body?

joe@strout.net says...

David Cook made a robot using a plastic sandwich box. See his book
"Robot Building for Beginners": http://robotroom.com/RBFB.html That page
should have some info that will help you get started.

Browse a good bookstore for that book and:

"Robot Builder's Bonanza" by some completely unapproachable guy named
Gordon McComb who would never ever (ever never) post a reply to your
questions here in this group. ;-) He also penned "Constructing Robot
Bases" and "Robot Builders Sourcebook".

Others:
"Junkbots, Bugbots, & Bots on Wheels"
"Combat Robots Complete"
"Stiquito" and "Stiquito Controlled"
"Building Robot Drive Trains"
"Programming Robot Controllers"
"Mechatronics for the Evil Genius"
"123 Robotics Experiments for the Evil Genius"
"PDA Robotics"
"Build Your Own All-Terrain Robot"
"Build your Own Humanoid Robots"
"Mobile Robotic Car Design"
"CNC Robotics"
"Kickin' Bot"

Even if you just thumb the books and look at the pictures, it will give
you some exposure to the things that are being done. If you do spend a
little $$, my opinion is that you can't go wrong with one of Gordon's
books.

-Rob
USBmicro.com

pogo posted on
August 29, 2006, 2:23 am
Permalink

Re: stackable plastic boxes as robot body?

You might also get some ideas from this project on Acroname.com.
I've always thought it looked pretty neat. I think these are project boxes like
you can get from Radio Shack, DigiKey,
etc.
http://www.acroname.com/robotics/gallery/delahoussaye/delahoussaye.html

Enjoy the building !
JCD