A DIY guide to bringing your first robot to life with cheap and basic components.

Build Your Own Robot introduces you to the exciting world of robotics in a way that’s fun and affordable! You’ll build your own real robot with easy-to-find hardware and free open source software. Plus, all the components you need can be assembled with simple tools like a screwdriver.

In Build Your Own Robot you’ll learn how to:

Use cameras to capture photos and let your robot see
Add cameras and basic computer vision
Coordinate DC motors to move your robot
Write a web app to control your robot
Set up controls for joysticks
Read QR codes to find and identify objects


This book shows you how anyone can start building their own robot—no special soldering or electronic skills required. All you need is some basic Python know-how to get started. From scratch, you’ll go hands-on with DC motors, touch sensors, custom shell scripting, joystick controls, and even face detection for your robot friend.

Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF and ePub formats from Manning Publications.

About the technology

You can build your own robot! With this book, you’ll use readily-available hardware and author Marwan Alsabbagh’s clear step-by-step instructions to create a robot that moves, manipulates objects, and responds to its environment. Along the way, you’ll learn some serious skills like computer vision, networking, and the basics of robotics programming.

About the book

Build Your Own Robot is a project-based guide that takes you from spinning your first DC motor to programming a mobile robot that you can control from your phone or computer. You’ll write simple Python code to help your new friend spin, move, and find its way. You’ll even teach it to track faces and fetch snacks. Plus, a helpful hardware purchasing guide makes it easy to find exactly what you need to get started!

What's inside

Coordinate DC motors to move your robot
Write a web app to control your robot
Adding cameras and basic computer vision
Read QR codes to find and identify objects


About the reader

Examples use simple Python code. No special skills or expensive tools required.

About the author

Marwan Alsabbagh is a seasoned software developer, who has studied mathematics and computer science at McGill University.

The technical editor on this book was Alexander Ryker.

Table of Contents

1 What is a robot?
2 Getting started
3 Driving the robot
4 Creating a robot shell
5 Controlling robots remotely
6 Creating robot web apps
7 Joystick-controlled robots
8 Keyboard-controlled camera
9 Face-following camera
10 Robotic QR code finder
11 Building a snack-pushing robot
A Hardware purchasing guide
B Configuring the Raspberry Pi
C Robot assembly guide
D Mocking the CRICKIT library