Documentation

13A: Thread the Tail Spring

through the hole from this side

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

13B: Let the tail dangle

underneath while soldering

13C: Use a good amount

of solder to mount the tail