Robot Building for Beginners

Chapter 18. Adding Gearhead Motors

In this chapter, we will select and install motors in the line-following robot circuit. You'll also learn a little about diodes.

Selecting Gearhead Motors

In choosing motors for the line-following robot, consider the following criteria:

• The motors should operate at voltage ranges provided by a 9 V battery. That's slightly less than 10 VDC, down to 7 VDC.

• The motors should be small enough to fit abreast within a sandwich container. That means each motor may be no more than 6 cm in length and 4 cm in diameter. Motors with smaller dimensions are even better, as you can add tubes or other ornamentations.

• The loaded motor speed should not be so slow as to bore people, but not so fast as to drive the robot off of the course. ...