PROJECTS:

MOUSEBOT

www.makezine.com/02/mousebot

Make:

Volume 02

P h o t o g r a p h y b y K i r k v o n R o h r

Set up:p.99Make it:p.100Use it:p.109

With a few spare parts, youcan turn an old computermouse into an amusinglittle robot.

MOUSEY THEJUNKBOT

By Gareth Branwyn

Make:

This project turns an analog computermouse into a robot that’ll delight friendsand wow workmates down on the cubefarm. Mousey’s behavior is fittingly mouse-like. It scoots quickly across the floor,thanks to lively little motors. And when thecritter crashes into anything, it speeds offin the opposite direction.The robot’s “brains” are an ingenious hackbased on an audio operational amplifier(op-amp), an 8-pin chip that’s normallyused to drive answering machine speakersand other lo-fi equipment. Following RandySargent’s pioneering design (see page102), Mousey repurposes this chip to boostlight-sensor input to motor-powerable levels.The result is simple, fast-reacting analogcircuitry that fits inside a mouse case.

Gareth Branwyn

writes about the intersection of technology and culture for

Wired

and other publications, and is amember of MAKE's Advisory Board. He is also "Cyborg-in-Chief" of

Streettech.com

THE FINE ART OF MAKING“FRANKENMICE”

Make:

Volume 02

www.makezine.com/02/mousebot

PROJECTS:

MOUSEBOT

I l l u s t r a t i o n b y T i m m y K u c y n d a

INSIDE MOUSEY

How a mild-mannered computer mousebecomes a fast, freewheeling photon-hog.

Analog (non-optical) mice pick up movements ofthe ball with two axles that turn gear-like wheels.The teeth rotate between IR emitters and recep-tors that capture the flickering shadows to readhorizontal and vertical directions and speeds.Reverse-biasing the diode emittersturns them into Mousey’s “eyes.”Randy Sargent’s Herbie (below)was the first LM386-basedbot. It finished last in the 1996Robothon’s line-following race,but went on to spawn manydescendent designs.Mousey’s bumper (fromone of its buttons) emptiesa capacitor-full of currentacross a relay, temporarilycrossing the motors’ volt-ages and throwing Mouseyinto reverse.The eyes’ light differenceis amplified and tappedinto the circuit betweenthe two motors, wired inseries. As one motor drawsless power, the other usesmore, steering the bot.