Documentation

13A: Thread the Tail Spring

through the hole from this side

13B: Let the tail dangle

underneath while soldering

13C: Use a good amount

of solder to mount the tail

Step 13 - Installing the Tail Spring:

While we are working on the “rear end” of the Herbie, let’s add the tail. Your tail has a solderable

sleeve crimped on the end. Thread it through from the component side of the PCB, and let it hang

down. The best way to do this is put the Herbie on its back and lay it over the edge of the table, so the

tail spring dangles downward. Solder the sleeve to the pad, and you’re done! Don’t skimp on the

solder. Make sure you’ve got a good, strong connection.

Step 14 - Forming the Tail Sensor Ring:

It’s one thing to have a tail spring, and another to actually turn it into a sensor. We’re doing this by

putting a ring around the tail, so if the tail is bent in any direction, it will touch the ring and make

Herbie kick into “Backup!” mode. We do this with a 3-legged iguanodon, whups, I mean paperclip.

14A: Your run-of-the-mill

standard paperclip

14B: Pry it apart

14C: Turn one end into a loop

and snip the extra wire off

14D: Bend the loop so the wire

leg shoots directly out of it, and

cut off the rest.

Note: Save rest of the

paperclip! (you’ll find

out why...) (bet you hate it when we say that)

Cut

Solarbotics Herbie the Mousebot