Free forum: Shanky Technologies support forum. Get news, help, poker bot profiles, and other goodies here. What marketing strategies does Bonusbot use? Get traffic statistics, SEO keyword opportunities, audience insights, and competitive analytics for Bonusbot.
Any of my search term words; All of my search term words; Find results in. Content titles and body; Content titles only. VRBonusBot @BonusVRbot Send Message. If you have Telegram, you can contact VRBonusBot right away.
The Hexbug Nano is a little toy bug that scurries across the floor to the delight of children and pets everywhere! A quick Google search will show you a variety of BrushBot projects, but which vibration motor should you buy? Are all batteries the same?
During our investigation we created numerous BrushBots of our own, putting the different options to the test to save you both time and money. I must confess we really enjoyed stocking our new lab with all the extra supplies.
We divided our investigation into tabs, allowing you access to the information in the order that works best for you. If you already have the materials you need, then feel free to jump straight to the Instructions tab. If you’re not sure where to start or what supplies you should buy then the Investigation tab, where we break down the results of our tests and give our recommendations, should help you out.
We’ve also included a BonusBot at the end of this post. This bot is a great example of what your kids can create with a few items from the local dollar store and a little imagination.
Enjoy building your very own BrushBot!
Supply List
| Materials | Tools |
|---|---|
| Toothbrush | Scissors |
| Motor | Wire Strippers |
| Battery | Wire Cutters |
| Adhesives | Glue Gun if available |
| Accessories | |
Note: We were able to build our BrushBots for about $2.20 each but the total cost of the project for you will depend on how many bots you plan on building and how many supplies can be bought locally with coupons. Some of the supplies can only be purchased in multi-packs which adds to the initial cost, especially if you only want to build one or two BrushBots.
Investigation
TOOTHBRUSHES
The choices are endless! Kid brushes, adult brushes, soft-bristled, medium-bristled and the occasional hard-bristled brushes. Let’s not forget the straight, angled, and even curved versions of each.
The Winner
A medium, straight-bristled adult brush with a flat head from the local dollar store.
Investigation Results
Surprisingly enough several of our BrushBots tended to tip over or move in the wrong direction. Several options to remedy these issues are:
1. Use a decorative piece of self-stick foam on top of the battery for better weight distribution if your BrushBot tips over. Not only is this an attractive solution but we used the self-stick foam to attach the motor’s second wire to the top of the battery.
2. Use your fingers to apply pressure against the bristles in a backward direction. This should produce a slant in the bristles which can help propel your BrushBot in a forward motion.
3. Re-position the weight of the battery/motor setup when your BrushBot spins in a circle due to uneven weight distribution. Another issue can be the bristles themselves, so you can also spend more time applying pressure on the bristles.
4. If you have time and a glue gun, pipe cleaner legs are a fun way for your kids to add stability to their BrushBot (We found it hard to keep the legs attached without the glue gun).
We had a hard time keeping the battery/motor setup on some of the fancier toothbrushes. Toothbrushes with ridges on the heads prevented the foam tape from having enough surface area to stick on but if you’re using a glue gun this won’t be a problem for you.
MOTORS
We found three vibration motors on Amazon that looked like they were just what we needed (listed in a top to bottom order seen in the image above):
1. Coin Mobile Phone Vibration Motor – written as Motor 1 below
2. Vibration Motor for RC Toy – written as Motor 2 below
3. Pager Cell Phone Vibration Motor – written as Motor 3 below
The Winner
The Coin Mobile Phone Vibration Motor from Amazon (Motor 1).
Investigation Results
Motor 1: We were expecting only the motors with an off-centered weight attached to the motor shaft to work, so we were pleasantly surprised to find that not only did all five motors in the package work, but they vibrated strong enough to propel our BrushBots all over the place.
Is Bonusbots Legit
The length and durability of the wires was the deciding factor for Motor 1 to be our top choice. Both Motor 1 and Motor 3 did a great job vibrating our BrushBots, but the Motor 3 wires broke more easily when we were stripping them. Plus having the longer wires will allow you to use a AA battery if that’s what you have around the house.
Motor 2: Seven out of the ten motors from the package worked. They were the strongest motors tested but unfortunately, they were too strong for our needs and our BrushBots tipped over repeatedly.
If you have a glue gun and pipe cleaners though and you have time to make the legs than you may want to give this motor a try. The wires are durable and just long enough that you have room for error when stripping them and the older kids may enjoy the challenge.
Motor 3: All ten motors from the package worked and vibrated our BrushBots nicely. Our only issue with this motor was how easily the wires broke while we were stripping them. If you’re an old pro at stripping wires and can get these at a better price than Motor 1 then go for it (unless you’re hoping to use them with a AA battery of course).
We struggled quite a bit at the beginning of our testing phase due to the shortness of the exposed section of the wire on the motors. Once we used wire strippers to remove enough of the insulation to expose about 1/4 inch of wire we were able to consistently make a connection when using the foam tape to stick the wires to the battery.
The wires on these motors ranged from 26-30 AWG so you may want to verify that your wire strippers can handle the smaller size. If not, you should purchase a new pair while ordering your other supplies. Without stripping the wires, we just couldn’t get enough contact on the battery as we connected the motor wires to the battery.
If you do use a motor with a weight on it make sure the weight is able to spin without hitting the toothbrush head.
BATTERIES
We tested our BrushBots with the Sony CR2032 Lithium 3V and the Maxell LR44 1.5V Alkaline battery. The Energizer AA battery was used on a special project at the end of this post.
The Winner
The Sony CR2032 Lithium 3V battery from Amazon.
Investigation Results
We tested our BrushBots with both batteries and they ran nonstop for an hour at which time we stopped monitoring them. We preferred the CR2032 only because the weight was distributed better. The LR44 made the BrushBots a little top heavy but are not a bad option, especially if you already have them around the house for your HexBug Nanos.
There are plenty of battery options out there that will work just fine, but we don’t recommend buying them at your local Walmart or Target. The CR2032 and LR44 batteries that we used have been in our junk drawer for at least 2 years, they still work great and were bulk purchases from Amazon. Be careful and read the reviews though as there are knock-off batteries being sold that don’t work as well.
ADHESIVES
We tested a random assortment of adhesive materials just to stock up our lab and have a little fun. Whatever adhesives you go with we recommend you test them out yourself first. We found that some options worked great on the metal batteries but not so well on the plastic toothbrushes.
The Winner
The 1/2″ Scotch foam mounting tape and Instant Tacky ‘sticky dots’ available at any craft store.
Investigation Results
The foam tape worked great keeping the motor wires attached to the battery and worked well on both metal and plastic. We especially liked that we were able to reuse each piece several times before it stopped sticking. This allowed us to move the battery setup around as we were testing things out.
The Instant Tacky sticky dots were perfect for attaching the googly eyes and motor onto the toothbrush. We were able to reuse each dot over and over and we found ourselves breaking the dots in half for the eyes without having any issues. They reminded us of the rubber cement balls we made as a kid during art class.
The Scotch Restickable dots for mounting were nice, large circles but they did not stick well the second time if you needed to re-position anything and they were not pliable like the Instant Tacky sticky dots. Not all ‘sticky/stickable’ dots are the same.
The Scotch removable mounting putty didn’t work for this project, but we will find a use for it in the coming months.
We were thinking that self-stick Velcro would allow us to easily move the battery/motor setup from one brush to another for testing purposes, but the Velcro prevented the motor vibrations from reaching the BrushBot.
ACCESSORIES
The accessories are endless, just raid your craft drawer and let your children surprise you with their designs. The sky’s the limit with a child’s imagination!
The Winner
Googly Eyes to add character to our creations and self-stick foam pieces to hold the motor wires onto the battery and provide stability. Available at any local craft store.
If you don’t mind buying your googly eyes in larger quantities than Amazon is a good place to check out as you get more for your money.
Investigation Results
The self-stick foam and sticky dots worked great for attaching the accessories, especially if you’re doing this project in a classroom, but if you have the time the glue gun works better for pieces you want to stick more permanently.
Instructions
(printable instructions)
Step 1:
1.1 Test your battery and motor. Take the two wires from the motor and place one on each side of your battery to make sure the motor spins (Image 1).
Step 2:
2.1 Use a pair of wire cutters to cut the handle off your toothbrush (Image 2).
2.2 Place a piece of foam tape on top of the toothbrush head near the center and a sticky dot on top of the toothbrush head near the end (Image 3).
2.3 Place one of the motor wires on the foam tape from step 2.2 and place the motor on the sticky dot (Image 3).
2.4Place your battery on top of the wire stuck to the foam tape and set the second motor wire on top of the battery (Image 4).
Note: The positive (red) and negative (black) wires will usually connect to the corresponding side of the battery but it doesn’t matter for this project.
Step 3:
3.1 Stick the piece of decorative foam on top of the battery, making sure the wire is between the foam and battery. The motor should spin when a proper connection is made (Image 5).
3.2 Congratulations! You just built your first BrushBot.
3.3 Carefully pull the wire out from under the decorative foam to stop the motor from vibrating. Now add some eyes or other accessories to add character to your BrushBot (Image 6).
Let your BrushBots vibrate their way freely around your floor or have your kids create a maze to vibrate through.
File #1.5 – The Case of The Oversized BrushBot
(A DIY BonusBot Investigation)
Bonus Bot Profiles
We took a trip to our local dollar store, bought an electric toothbrush as well as a vegetable brush, and built the BonusBot you can see in the images above.
Gather the materials listed in the Supply List tab and warm up your glue gun. This larger version of the BrushBot is a perfect way to appeal to your older kids.
Supply List
| Materials | Tools |
|---|---|
| Electric Toothbrush (Battery & Motor Included) | Glue Gun |
| 2 - 3' Electrical Wires | Wire Strippers |
| Vegetable Brush | Soldering Iron & Solder |
| AA Battery Holder | Small Saw |
| Accessories | Electrical Tape |
Investigation
Since our BonusBot is a cool upgrade to the above BrushBot our investigation was short and sweet.
TOOTHBRUSH
We purchased five electric toothbrushes from the dollar store and found that only four of them worked. Purchasing an extra brush or two will be a good idea, especially if this is a class project. You will also want to test your motor after removing it to be sure it didn’t break during the process.
ELECTRICAL WIRES
We were able to use one 6″ wire by cutting it in half and then stripping the ends so there was a 1/2″ of bare wire showing.
AA BATTERY HOLDER
The AA battery holder is optional. It will make it easier to turn your BonusBot on and off, and your kids will love wiring it up.
Instructions
(printable instructions)
Step 1:
1.1 Test your toothbrush. Since this toothbrush is from your local dollar store insert the battery and verify that it works.
1.2 Remove the top and bottom sections of the toothbrush just above and below the motor (Image 1) with a small saw.
1.3 Carefully tap the motor out of the remaining plastic tube. Your $1 toothbrush provides you with the vibrating motor, a AA battery, and a spare toothbrush head to use when building the smaller BrushBot above. You can remove the spring from the motor (Image 2).
Step 2:
2.1 Use the soldering iron to solder the two pieces of wire to the motor. Attach one wire to each of the two copper contacts (Image 3).
We found using wires that were 2 1/2″ – 3″ long allowed enough length to directly connect the wires to the battery if you don’t have a battery holder for Step 3 below.
2.2 Once the wires are soldered to the motor hold the other end of the wires to each side of the battery to make sure the wires are soldered correctly (Image 4).
Step 3:
3.1 We decided to wire a AA battery holder to our motor, so we could pop the battery in whenever we wanted to turn our BonusBot on.
3.2 Use wire strippers to make sure there’s about 1/2″ of exposed wire on the motor wires as well as the battery wires.
3.3 Twist one motor wire to the positive (red) battery holder wire and the other motor wire to the negative (black) battery holder wire (Image 5).
3.4 Wrap the connected wires with a small strip of electrical tape (Image 6) so they don’t come loose.
Note: The positive and negative connections don’t matter for this project.
Step 4:
4.1 Use a glue gun to attach the battery holder and motor to the vegetable brush (Image7).
4.2 Add accessories to add character to your BonusBot (Image 8).
4.3 Congratulations, you just finished building your very own BonusBot. Add your AA battery and watch the big guy go.
Now that you and your kids are expert BrushBot builders why don’t you let them loose with any extra motors and batteries you have and see what else they can come up with. See if they can determine why some objects make a great bot and why some don’t.
Thank you for joining us for our very first post. I hope you and your kids had as much fun as we did!