Principles of mechanical design for DIY robots

In previous chapters, we have taken in-depth looks at the core components of any Arduino robot: the sensors, the actuators, and the Arduino board itself. Once you have selected all these components and have written and tested the Arduino program to use them on a simple benchtop setup, it is time to build your robot! The mechanical components of your robot are what hold all the other parts together, and they need to be sufficiently stiff, durable, and reliable to make your robot project a success. Depending on the kind of robot you are building, the requirements for the mechanical components can vary quite a bit. For a combat robot, your material of choice would be metal to make it as durable as possible, even though metal is expensive and difficult to work with. For a flying robot, your focus would be on a lightweight design with low-density materials to minimize power consumption and maximize flight time.

The design considerations...