This topic is about a CDR01 build and is being started so it won’t clog up the topic from the developer. For more information about the toy please see the original topic:
My hope is that this may help anybody else in the U.S. source materials and give information to assist in the build. The build information from the developer has been good so far but the cost of individually sourcing all the parts from Japan was prohibitive. The developer is working on a parts kit and it may be a better deal in the long run.
Here’s a little of my reasoning for those following along and wondering what I’m thinking. This is being done on a bit of a shoestring budget. I have a 3D printer so the base plate was no real cost. The M5stack parts I plan to also experiment with on a remote control car and learn about the ESP32 programming. That means the only real cost for this project was the Lego parts which I thought was a good value for the learning experience. The Vorze attachments are also an expensive part but I do not plan on buying them. Since they were designed to spin on the U.F.O. I don’t think they are optimized for the movement of the CDR01 and plan to experment with other attachments. Most of my choices are heavily driven by cost so consider this when reading, there may be a better way than the way I’m doing this.
I’ll copy my first rather lengthy post from that topic in the next post here and then continue my progress in additional posts over time.
For anyone in the United States, I thought I would add a bit of information if you’re thinking about building one of these. I’ll admit to being a neophyte with M5Stack devices, so forgive me if I’m not 100% accurate. One of the things that interested me in this project was curiosity about electronics and robotics.
I purchased the M5Stack Motion Base and the Lite modules through Mouser Electronics. Another option would have been Digi-Key, but the motion base was on backorder there and the arrival date kept getting pushed back. The cost from Mouser for two motion bases and two Lite modules was around $50 USD (about $20 of that was taxes, tariffs, and shipping—ugh).
The modules come with no instructions and, with my luck, the M5Stack documentation site was not working, so I had to guess at what I was doing. After assembling the two different parts, the batteries were not charged, so I charged them by connecting and powering the Lite via USB and turning on the motion base. The green LED pulsed dim and bright while charging; when charging finished it stayed solid bright (hope that was right).
Programming the Lite module was straightforward following the instructions posted with the burner tool download on Fantia. The burner tool was easy to use and my Windows 10 machine recognized the module on the correct COM port with no problems. Some people may not have a dedicated Windows machine to use the burner tool, so I tried running it in a VMware Workstation Pro 26H1 VM on a Linux host and it worked under both Windows 10 and Windows 11 — that may be an option for others.
I ordered all the Lego parts from the LEGO Pick a Brick site. Finding the correct pieces was a slight challenge, but I believe I got them all. The site has a feature where you can upload a parts list; I will try to post that file once I receive the pieces and verify they are correct. This should save you a lot of time searching for each part. The LEGO parts cost around $35 USD, but I had to order some extra pieces to avoid service fees and shipping.
I already had servos, but you could buy enough on Amazon US for the whole project for around $16 USD if you purchase them all at once, depending on brand and type.
Lego parts should arrive next week and I’ll update as I go.
Lego splits your order into two categories: “bestseller” and “standard”. Bestseller parts are in stock in the U.S. and ship right away, while standard parts are not and ship from overseas with a delay of up to 28 working days. The majority of the parts were bestseller for me and arrived Friday; five of the parts shipped as standard, mainly parts of the moving section of the build, which will arrive later.
The first step of the Lego build hit a big snag. The glue for the servo horn is apparently inexpensive in Japan but costs about $50 USD here. Available U.S. replacements I found also run in the $50 USD range, and that’s a deal breaker. I tried solvent welding and hot glue, since I had them on hand, and neither worked. I have several epoxies and other adhesives but suspect they will not work well and didn’t have spare parts to test on. So, I resorted to 3D printing a replacement servo arm in PETG and then solvent welding the Lego to it. While the weld will hold I’m not sure how well the PETG to servo gear interface will work, time will tell.
My order of “standard” LEGO bricks from overseas may not arrive for over a month. Although there are only five different parts in that order, a couple of them are crucial, so the build is at a standstill. After looking at pictures of the missing pieces and completing much of the build with the majority of the parts, I’m fairly confident they are correct but don’t want to post the list until I know for sure. If someone wants to order the LEGO parts now, just ask and I will give you the file to save time looking up parts individually. Once I receive the parts and finish the build to ensure they are all correct, I will post the file for future builders.
To use the file: on the LEGO Pick-a-Brick page you will see the search box for “keyword or piece number,” and to the right of that a button for “search within set,” and to the right of that a button for “upload list,” which is where you can upload the CSV file of the parts I ordered. Note that the CSV is for the default bricks, mostly black. If you’re trying to save a couple of extra dollars, you can check the different colors of each brick as other colors are sometimes less expensive.
When you order the parts from LEGO they end up in two different “bags”: the “standard” and “bestseller.” Each bag has a minimum before they waive their service charge, so it may be useful to check because ordering just a few extra bricks may save that service charge. Also check the threshold for free shipping; once again, ordering extra bricks may save the shipping cost. In this case, I would order more of part 306926 (flat tile 1x2) and 6395635 (485 bush friction w/knob), even though they should not be needed. These are the parts that glue onto the servo horn arm and are the only parts I’ve seen so far that you might need extra of, in case you mess up gluing them.