Simple Floor Wiping Robot Self Navigating! Super Easy Build!

I designed this robot so you can easily build one with the parts at home. It does a pretty good job wiping the floor and even turns when bumping walls, cleaning far beyond its weight class! I've seen ones that work with vibration or fans, but they don't work very well, this is better!

The parts needed are cheap parts that can often be scrapped out of old electronics or purchased online for dirt cheap. This build is really flexible on parts used; things can be changed out and will still work! I specifically avoided fancy parts to make this build accessible to more people. It really helps to read through this entire instructable before going step by step to help you understand how this machine works and better size your parts.

Things you will need

> dry or wet floorwipes

> a plastic box that's just a little smaller than your wipes

> 4 clips

> a chopstick or thick straw

> cardboard

> hotglue or superglue

> 2 dc gearmotors (I used zgb37rg17.4i and another small salvaged motor I couldn't find a part number for)

> a battery that can power the motors

> electrical wire

> rubber bands

Tools that are helpful

> hot glue gun

> pliers

> Box cutter

> scissors

I included some pictures to help people who need a reference (basically everyone)

Prep parts for the drivetrain

You will have to size your own parts, as you will probably have a different motor and a different box, but assemble these parts out of the stick and boards. I accidentally poked 2 holes in my box, but you only need 1 in a spot where it's gonna fit.

Most of the crankshaft is pretty straightforward; just make sure the holes line up, cardboard and foamboard aren't very strong, so you might need 3 layers as I did. Please make sure to not glue stuck the shaft of the motor.

Here's how this comes together. The pictures are mostly self-explanatory

Make sure to test that it works and fix possible issues before moving on.

Make sure that the thrust is slightly off center; the yaw this generates is important for improving the time spent cleaning and not stuck in the corner

Time to build the wall turning feature

It's simple, cut out a piece of the board into a rectangle slightly bigger than the box, and spin it in the middle with the second gearmotor in the front. You can add things to the tip and rubberbands to improve grip. Make the direction it's gonna push off the wall the same direction as the yaw tendency of the robot.

Time to build the battery holder, make sure your battery fits your motor. The pictures explain it better than 1000 words. You may need to put multiple batteries in series for more voltage espesally for those using 1.2v, 1.5v, or 1.6v cells. For more budget-conscious people like me who are using rechargeable batteries, make sure to feature an overdischarge protection circuit or time each use to make sure the rechargeable battery is still chargeable after use. My 3.6v 18650 battery already features such protection circuit.

time to wire it up. Make sure to test the 2 mechanisms and figure out their polarity first. For anyone who has graduated middle school, this is easy. Just wire it while the battery is not plugged in, and tape up the exposed, soon-to-be-electrified wires to avoid shorting it. For those who need a refresher, you connect electrical wire by exposing the bare copper and twisting it together.

Now just take 4 clips and glue them onto the corners of the box, and clip on the wipe. Your poor man's Roomba is now done and ready for service