Building Your Own Robot: A Step-by-Step Guide for the Utterly Confused

Step 1: Assemble the Pieces

• Buy 17 different types of motors. Don't ask why.
• Acquire a sufficient supply of wire and electrical tape. You'll need it for everything.
• Find a local library with a decent robotics bookshelf. You'll be there for weeks.

Step 2: Design Your Robot

• Sketch out your robot's face. Make sure it's expressive and also slightly unsettling.
• Consider the ergonomic implications of your robot's joints. Will it be comfortable for your users?
• Choose a name for your robot. Something like "Bolt" or "Sparkles McSparkface".

Step 3: Build Your Robot

• Weld together all the pieces you bought in Step 1. Pray to the robot gods that it doesn't catch fire.
• Program the microcontroller. Don't worry, it's just like writing a 500-page novel, but with more circuitry.
• Test the robot's functionality. Make sure it doesn't kill anyone. Yet.

Continue to Chapter 5: The Great Robot Uprising