Building a DIY Robot Lab? These Are the Tools You Need

Whether you’re hacking a Roomba into a home-­security droid or assembling your own robocreation, outfit your workbench with these essentials.

When an off-the-shelf part won’t do the trick, carve your own. This CNC router subtracts material­ from a block of wood, plastic, or aluminum with its quarter-inch carbide cutter to precisely shape any widget you design on your PC. The spacious 16 x 16-inch cutting area lets you think big.
$1,099

That piece you milled not fitting right? Shave it into submission with this hand tool. The 1.2-amp motor spins the rotary head from 5,000 all the way up to 35,000 rpm to tackle drilling, grinding, sanding, and polishing. Swap in heads for various tasks by twisting the nose, just like changing bits on a drill.
$69

You finish your bot, flip the power switch, and … bupkes. Check your connections with a multimeter, which measures voltage, current, and resistance to help determine where a resolder is needed. You can also use it to see how much juice is left in your 9-volt batteries—much better than giving them the tongue test.
$23

Use this 75-watt soldering iron to forge solid electronic connections. Dial in the exact melting temperature you need and the X-Tronic will keep the pen locked within 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit—until every last point is soldered. For added safety, it automatically switches off if you don’t use it for 10 minutes.
$60

Connect your project to the Internet of Things with this microcontroller. The onboard Wi-Fi module will let you (or an automated web service like IFTTT) send your bot commands from afar. Arduino’s browser-based programming environment, with prewritten downloadable commands, keeps setup simple enough for first-year coders.
$34

This article appears in the February issue. Subscribe now.

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