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Hardware OverviewHardware OverviewThe robots were designed carefully to save money without sacrificing too much functionality. The greatest cost savings were made in the mechanical design. The robots are just one printed circuit board (PCB). The wheels are the only custom mechanical parts; everything else is an off-the-shelf component, compatible with standard electronics manufacturing techniques, soldered to the PCB. As a result the platform is economical and its manufacture simple, for researchers and electronics assembly firms alike. Further savings were made in the choice of components mass produced for consumer electronics. Motors used to vibrate mobile phones were chosen for drive because they are compact and cheap. Small wheels, and the robot's very low weight make gearboxes unnecessary. Power is from lithium polymer cells which are ubiquitous in consumer electronics. Summary of Hardware Features
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Rear view; illustrating drive scheme
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Twenty-five robots were assembled and tested by a team of nine in a single (but long) day.
The circuit design will be covered in the next page ->
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