Build a Motorized Minecraft Creeper Robot with Arduino

In the new book Make: Minecraft for Makers, the author includes a monster Creeper project that turns a real robot into a lovable, non‑explosive companion. This guide walks you through creating a motorized Creeper featuring a metal skeleton, wooden skin, a rotating head, and glowing NeoPixel eyes—all powered by an Arduino Uno.

Design Overview

The Creeper’s in‑game dimensions are simple: a cubic 8‑pixel head, a 4×8×12 body, and four 4×8×4 legs. Using a one‑inch‑per‑pixel scale, the physical robot measures 12″ high, 8″ wide, and 4″ deep for the body; an 8″ cube for the head; and 6″×4″×4″ legs. Because the robot will roll rather than walk, the front and back legs are merged into 8″‑wide blocks.

For the chassis we chose the Actobotics Bogie Runt Rover kit, costing roughly $70. The assembled rover’s chassis is 6″×9″, with a 6″ ground clearance. This base can accommodate all the required components.

Materials & Tools

• Actobotics Bogie Runt Rover kit (chassis, 6 motors, 6 wheels)
• 3¾″ channel pieces, 9″ channel, dual screw plates, bearing, D‑rod, ¼″ and ⅛″ plywood for skin and head
• Arduino Uno + motor shield
• Standard hobby servo, servo plate, coupler
• NeoPixel Jewels (two)
• 9V battery & 4×AA battery pack
• Drill, screws, paint (green, black, and white), paintbrushes, and a 6‑ft wire set for controller

Step‑by‑Step Build

1. Assemble the Rover Kit
   Follow the assembly video on servocity.com/bogie to build the base.
2. Attach the Body Base
   Secure a 3¾″ channel to the rover’s central mounting holes with a large square screw plate and four screws from below.
3. Mount the Head Servo
   Use the servo plate to install the servo on the channel; attach the D‑rod coupler to the servo shaft.
4. Install the Body Channel
   Fasten the 9″ channel to the 3¾″ piece using a dual screw plate.
5. Add the Support Beam
   Attach a second 3¾″ channel at the top of the 9″ piece with another dual screw plate.
6. Attach the Bearing
   Align the bearing with the servo shaft.
7. Secure the D‑Rod
   Thread the D‑rod through the bearing and lock it in the servo coupler.
8. Assemble Feet & Skin
   Laser‑cut (or hand‑cut) plywood pieces—⅛″ plywood for the skin, ¼″ plywood for the head base. Design the blocks to fit onto the robot by gravity.
9. Paint the Body and Feet
   Apply a single coat of Creeper green paint. Allow to dry before proceeding.
10. Attach the Skin
    Drop the painted skin onto the robot; the ¼″ rod should fit snugly on top.
11. Build the Head Base
    Cut an 8″×8″ square of ¼″ plywood, drill a ¼″ center hole and mounting holes, then secure with a small square screw plate.
12. Construct the Head
    Assemble the plywood head panels, drilling holes for the NeoPixel eyes.
13. Paint the Head
    Paint the exterior green, add black for the face, and paint the interior black to deepen the eye color.
14. Install the Arduino
    Mount the Arduino under the robot using #4 hardware—either drill into the ABS chassis or use existing mounting holes.
15. Mount the Motor Shield
    Place the shield directly atop the Arduino, connecting the male and female headers.
16. Connect the Servo
    Plug the servo wires into the Motor Shield’s Servo 1 pins.
17. Mount the 9V Battery
    Attach the 9V battery to the chassis (but keep it unplugged until later).
18. Attach the Battery Pack
    Secure the 4×AA pack to the chassis and plug it into the shield’s power terminals.
19. Wire the Motors
    Group the left‑side motors on M3 terminals and the right‑side motors on M4, ensuring the shield can handle the load.
20. Wire NeoPixel Eyes
    Connect the two NeoPixel Jewels: VIN to Arduino 5V, GND to Arduino GND, data from digital pin 6 to Jewel 1 IN, and Jewel 1 OUT to Jewel 2 IN.
21. Wire Controller Connections
    Run three wires from the Creeper’s Arduino (digital pins 0, 1, and GND) to the controller Arduino. A 6‑ft cable is usually sufficient.

Programming the Creeper

The robot’s code is straightforward, controlling motor speeds and servo head movement. Detailed instructions are available in the Make: Minecraft for Makers book or via the GitHub repository (Chapter 9 folder). For a complete walkthrough, see the “Read More Info…” section.

Once assembled and programmed, your Creeper will roll around, swivel its head, and flash red when “exploding”—a safe, fun tribute to the beloved Minecraft mob.