Building Instructions

The very first robot that we usually build in a class. 

"How do you build a forklift using only gear wheels and levers without a rake"... Ok, we would admit that is a difficult question. It even sounds difficult. So let's start with something easy. A LEGO Mindstorms EV3 robot. It lifts objects in the air. It uses two gear wheels that work together and then move in different directions and are placed perpendicular to each other... This sentence kind of got difficult again... Let me try again.

Follow the building instructions with these 70+ steps and you will have a very nice robot and you will learn a simple trick of how to use gears and change the directions in which they rotate. 

The new Spy is a robot with tank treads, which uses one medium motor to turn three things at once. That is achieved by a gear system. Simultaneously the robot turns its two hands up and down, but in opposite directions and its head - left and right.

The robot moves with the help of two tank treads, attached to two Large EV3 Motors.

This is a simple robot, variation of the Earl bot using treads. You can use the attachment to kick balls sideways. The robot is useful in STEM classes where students have to construct robots quickly.

We love tanks. You love tanks. Everybody loves tanks. Well, not exactly - more like everybody loves machines with chain treads because they are interesting, not that common, very easy to build and could tackle a lot of obstacles.

Building instructions for a LEGO Mindstorms EV3 robot that we call Space Explorer. The motors are attached in a very interesting way to the brick. Both the brick and the motors are vertical and there are not many robots like this. With its ultrasonic sensor, this robot allows you to follow, find or avoid objects. Just like an explorer. And since it is a robot why not put it in space and call it "Space Explorer".

There is one part that is not from the EV3 sets, but you can actually skip it. You don't need it. Try to find which one.

The goal of these building instructions is to build a simple LEGO Mindstorms EV3 robot without wheels. You should then think of yourself how exactly to add the wheel. Which wheels would you use on the front? How are you going to build the third wheel? Here are for example a few recommendations on building the third wheel - 1, 2, 3, 4 

Later on you can expland this construction with a grabber as demosntrated here. 

It sparks. It's sparkling. Well, the goal of this LEGO Mindstorms building instruction is to spark the imagination when the base of the construction is very simple. Just two motors with the brick above them and one of the most classic ways to attach them together - with angled beams. 

The construction could use EV3 or NXT wheels, so chose wisely. As a robot chassis base, it is suitable for all kinds of extensions. An interesting thing is the motors are attached to each other with a frame which is getting very popular in the EV3 world.  

Following the Spy Bot, we have this new Spy Vehicle. Yes, yes it is using an ultrasonic sensor.

The building instructions are for a robot base that looks like a car but is not exactly a car and has a strange shape. Just like spy vehicles - a car, but not only a car and not just a car. 

There is a lot of physics and math involved when learning with LEGO Mindstorms EV3 robots. It is generally "difficult" to include them directly during classes because students are coming for "something funnier" and at the same time, they could be of different ages. But Inertia is a pretty common topic that is quite easy to introduce to students, especially with a robot. 
The robot moves and stops. What will happen with the cargo when the robot stops? Naturally, the cargo will continue moving and this is dangerous. For how long, what would be the energy? All these are things that could be discussed with this robot.
The robot is not completely finished because you have to finish it and decide on the wheels to be used. 

Let's go fast. Large wheels on the back. A lot of torque, small wheels on the front, good aerodynamics. Here we go.

These are building instructions for a LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Drag Car. 

Building instructions for a LEGO EV3 steering car. We use two large motors, so that the rear wheels will be driven independently by a separate motor. For your convinience, you can use the EV3-G MyBlock for moving the Boomer.

This robot is part of the category of robots called animals. After following the building instructions you would have a frog that could jump. Of course, the jump depends on the surface and the friction between the robot and the ground... quite complex physics involved. But if you program it to move forward it will try to jump and it is your job to try to make it jump higher. 

You could try to extend some of the legs, for example.

Building instructions for a LEGO Mindstorms Robot that cleans the landing site when landing on a different planet. Built from an EV3 set it is a perfect simple tank robot with continuous tracks for lifting and moving things. Basically cleaning.   

Piscis from Latin means fish.

Piscis is a LEGO fish robot which uses a very interesting mechanism for turning. It's tail uses a medium motor to turn left or right. On its end there are two wheels. When the robot turns its tail, those wheels navigate the movement of the robot and it turns. This results in a cool turning mechanism which resembles how fish move.

Piscis also uses a large motor to move forward and backward. The touch sensor at the front helps it sense danger and return quickly back to the reef.

Watch out for the tooth wheels, they bite!

The goal of these building instructions is to build a LEGO Mindstorms EV3 robot without wheels. You should then decide on your own how exactly to add the wheel. Which wheels would you use at the front? How are you going to build the third wheel? Here are some recommendations on building the third wheel - 1,2,3,4 

Building instructions for the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Catapult. The robot has a motor, a clutch to control it for manual shooting and a touch sensor for automatic loading. The bottom base is removed which means the Catapult could not be turned around. Nevertheless, the baseless robot is small enough to be built in class.

Building instructions for a LEGO Truck. The robot is presented as an Ammo Truck but it can be used for transporting various other objects, too. The construction has a rear drive with each of the rear wheels driven by a Large Lego Motor. The front wheels steer using a Medium Lego Motor. The Brick is placed at the front of the construction which gives the opportunity to easily attach different sensors, based on the task. 

Building instructions for a steering car. The front wheels steer through a Medium LEGO EV3 motor while the rear wheels are both driven by a single Large LEGO EV3 motor.

Building instructions for a LEGO EV3 Robo-tank. The construction is incredibly simple, with an upright Brick, which makes it perfectly suitable for lessons with students.