DIY Wall‑E Inspired Raspberry Pi CD‑Box Robot

Introduction

This weekend project brings a touch of cinematic robotics to your living room. Inspired by the film Wall‑E and a design from DX.com, we built a four‑wheel robot using a recycled CD tube, a Raspberry Pi, and inexpensive motors. The result is a functional, low‑cost robot that’s fun to assemble and great for learning.

Materials

• Raspberry Pi Model B (512 MB RAM)
• Micro‑SD card preloaded with Adafruit Occidentalis 0.2
• Four‑wheel drive chassis (downloaded from DX.com)
• Pololu TB6612FNG motor driver
• HD1800A servo motor
• HC‑SR04 ultrasonic sensor
• 1 kΩ and 2 kΩ resistors
• Various wires, connectors, and a universal PCB
• Battery pack with solar charger (DX.com)
• Recycled CD tube (for the robot body)
• Tools: soldering iron, pliers, Dremel, multimeter

Software

Adafruit Occidentalis 0.2 – a lightweight OS for the Raspberry Pi that supports Python, ROS, and real‑time control.

Step 1: Mount the Robot Base

The chassis was fashioned from a CD tube. Motor mounts were positioned at a 60° angle relative to the front wheel to prevent wheel‑base interference. Using a Dremel with a plastic cutting disc, the central pin of the tube was removed. The battery holder and Pololu driver were secured to the top of the tube for a clean, low‑profile look.

For more detail, refer to the Raspberry Pi CD Box Robot page.

Next Steps

• Wiring the motors and servo to the TB6612FNG.
• Connecting the HC‑SR04 sensor to the Pi’s GPIO.
• Installing the battery pack and testing power distribution.
• Programming the robot to respond to ultrasonic distance readings.

Enjoy building and watching your robot navigate like a scene from Wall‑E!