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Make: Volume 45: Robot Workshop is a 116-page, English-language 2015 issue of Make:, edited by Jason Babler. It brings together projects and features on InMoov, a self-balancing Arduino robot, tensegrity, grippers and combat-bot design, alongside general maker projects. It remains useful for ideas and mechanical principles, but its electronics, software and product advice are historical—not a current build or buying guide.
At a glance
| Full title | Make: Volume 45: Robot Workshop (also cataloged as Make: Technology on Your Time) |
|---|---|
| Publication year | 2015 |
| Editor | Jason Babler |
| Length and format | 116 pages; paperback, magazine-style bookazine or mook |
| Language | English |
| ISBN | 9781457187117 (ISBN-10: 1457187116) |
| Official issue page | Make: Volume 45 – Robot Workshop |
Catalogs variously call it a book, magazine or paperback, and publisher records differ between Maker Media, Inc. and Make Community, LLC. The ISBN is the most dependable way to identify this volume. Cataloged release dates also vary—May 21 and June 16, 2015—so 2015 is the reliable publication year rather than a single universally consistent day.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Make: Volume 45: Robot Workshop | $12.32 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Games Workshop Warhammer 40k: Thousand Sons - Sekhetar Robots | $45.05 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Learning Resources Design and Drill Robot Workshop XL - 150 Pieces | $99.95 | Buy on Amazon |
What the issue covers
Robot Workshop was framed as part of Maker Media’s “Robot Month.” Its scope is wider than a collection of robot assembly instructions: it mixes profiles and design discussion with hands-on projects, fabrication skills and broader maker culture. The robotics material ranges from a printable humanoid to mobile control, grasping, compliant structures and combat-bot concepts. The official table of contents also lists manufacturing in China and other general maker projects.
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| Project or feature | What it explores | How to approach it today |
|---|---|---|
| InMoov | A profile of Gaël Langevin’s open-source, 3D-printable, life-size humanoid robot and its international maker following. | Read it as a 2015 snapshot and a source of inspiration. A large printed humanoid is a major commitment in printing time, assembly, actuation, wiring and control. Check current InMoov documentation and community resources for compatible parts and instructions; the issue alone cannot establish what is currently supported. |
| ArduRoller: Self-Balancing Robot | An Arduino-based robot combining self-balancing with GPS and autonomous-mission capabilities. | The control problem is more demanding than the compact build may suggest. Sensor orientation and calibration, motor torque, wheel backlash, center of gravity, battery stability and controller tuning all matter. Original boards, sensors and libraries may have changed, so verify compatibility before buying components or adapting code. |
| Universal Robot Gripper | A jamming gripper: a flexible, granular-filled container conforms around an object, then stiffens when air pressure is reduced. | The principle remains useful for experimentation, but results depend on the membrane, fill, vacuum source and object surface. It is not a precision industrial gripper; porous, hot, very heavy or unusually shaped objects can be poor candidates, and sourcing or adapting the vacuum system may be the hardest part. |
| Simple Tensegrity Robot | A moving structure using rigid members held in a network of tensioned elements rather than conventional rigid joints. | Best suited to readers interested in compliant structures, unusual locomotion and mechanical prototyping. Its value is primarily conceptual and experimental; it is not a substitute for a conventional wheeled robot tutorial. |
| Round 2 — Fight! / Combat Concepting with Cardboard | Combat-robot design in the context of BattleBots’ 2015-era return, including cardboard concepting and testing. | Useful for early design thinking, not present-day event compliance. Rules and safety requirements vary by competition and can change. High-speed weapons, batteries, remote-control failures and fragments introduce serious hazards; consult current event rules and safety guidance before building or operating a combat robot. |
These are not all equivalent as build recipes. The self-balancer and gripper involve practical mechanisms that can be prototyped, while the InMoov coverage is a profile of a much larger platform and the combat material includes design ideation. As with many magazine projects, a printed account may compress sourcing, calibration, tolerances and troubleshooting. Treat a parts list or software reference as historical unless you verify it against current documentation.
#1 Best Overall
What else is in the 116 pages?
Robotics is the theme, not the entirety of the issue. The official contents include these sections and examples:
- Features and columns: Reader Input, Welcome, Made on Earth, “Innovate in China,” “The New Tech Times,” and a Maker Pro Q&A with 3Doodler co-founder Max Bogue.
- Robot Workshop: “In Our Image,” “InMoov Around the World,” “ArduRoller: Self-Balancing Robot,” “Simple Tensegrity Robot,” “Universal Robot Gripper,” “Round 2 — Fight!” and “Combat Concepting with Cardboard.”
- Skills and projects: soldering, filing and wire strippers; high-speed splash photography; a square light ring; crochet, kids’ furniture, digital-privacy projects, a Raspberry Pi home arcade, a tripod flashlight, Lego picture puzzles, a random-number generator, a switched 9V battery clip, an extendable robo arm, volcanic-blast tracking, a clothes-folding board and a faux-enamel trinket maker.
- Toolbox and closing material: tool reviews, new maker technology, books, a LulzBot Mini 3D-printer review and a feature on Tradinno, a giant robot dragon in Germany.
That breadth is a plus if you enjoy the whole magazine’s mix of projects. If you want only robotics, expect to use the dedicated Robot Workshop section rather than all 116 pages as a focused robotics course.
Rank #2
- 2 plastic miniatures for Warhammer 40,000
- Add heavily armed battle automata to your Thousand Sons army
- Blow your enemies apart with hellfyre missile racks and warpflame weapons
- Choose from a pyreflux meltagun for more firepower, or a power claw to dominate in melee
Is it still useful in 2026?
- Still useful for ideas: Mechanical concepts such as tensegrity and jamming, approaches to prototyping, and the variety of ways makers tackle robot design can outlast particular parts or software.
- Useful with checking and adaptation: Arduino-based builds, autonomous control and 3D-printed assemblies. Confirm board, sensor, motor-driver, library and fabrication compatibility before relying on the original instructions.
- Primarily historical: Product reviews, retailer references, software assumptions and commentary presented as the state of robotics or manufacturing in 2015. The LulzBot Mini review, for example, is not a present-day printer recommendation.
The issue’s original promotional language about the “latest developments” describes its publication context, not the state of robotics in 2026. It predates today’s current hardware and software ecosystems, so readers seeking modern computer vision, ROS 2, AI, or advanced actuator guidance should use contemporary technical documentation instead.
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Who should read or buy it?
- Maker and magazine collectors: A useful, identifiable issue if you collect Make: or want a snapshot of mid-2010s maker culture.
- Experienced hobbyists: A good source of varied mechanisms and project ideas, provided you are comfortable checking obsolete or changed components and adapting instructions.
- Robot-building beginners: Potentially inspiring, but not a complete modern curriculum. A current introductory robotics resource with supported parts and documentation is a better first guide if you need step-by-step instruction.
- Humanoid-robot builders: The InMoov coverage offers context, but current InMoov documentation is essential for a build attempt.
- Competition builders: Treat combat coverage as historical design inspiration only. Current event rules, arena requirements and safety procedures take precedence.
- Professional or advanced robotics developers: The issue may interest you as a maker publication, but it is not a current reference for modern robotics stacks or industrial practice.
Finding a copy and checking the edition
This is an older issue, so availability and asking prices can vary by seller, location and condition; no single resale listing should be treated as a stable price or proof of broad stock. Start with the official issue page for identification, then search resale catalogs using ISBN 9781457187117. This also helps distinguish Volume 45 from the separate Make: Volume 39, which was also robotics-themed and appears separately in the Make: volume archive.
Rank #3
- Educational Learning Tool: Teaches children how different objects relate to one another and how those objects can combine to make a larger object
- Motor Skills Development: Develops both fine motor skills, gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination skills through hands-on play
- Complete Tool Set Included: 4 drills, 6 gear socket bits, 6 Phillips bits, and a screwdriver, requires 2 AA batteries (batteries not included)
- Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Assembly and experimenting with robot parts, children learn to think critically, troubleshoot, and come up with creative solutions
- Age Recommendation: Ages 3 years and up
Before buying a used copy, check the seller’s condition description and, if completeness matters, ask whether it contains all 116 pages and any inserts or supplements. Listings may use “book,” “magazine,” “trade paperback” or “mook” for the same ISBN; those labels alone do not identify a different edition. The ISBN is a better match check than the product category or cover wording.
Safety and modernization checks
- Motors and batteries: Use suitable power electronics, secure wiring and a way to disconnect power. Do not assume a small robot is harmless: motors can pinch, snag or overheat, and battery systems require appropriate charging and handling.
- Self-balancing tests: Incorrect sensor orientation, poor tuning or a brownout can make a robot lurch or fall. Begin with wheels raised or a tether/support fixture; keep hands, hair and loose clothing clear of wheels and mechanisms.
- Vacuum gripper: Match the membrane, fill and vacuum source to the intended objects. Avoid assuming a prototype can safely lift a heavy or fragile load.
- Combat robots: Do not power or test a weapon casually. Use current competition rules and appropriate containment and safety practices; the 2015 article is not a safety standard.
- Printed structural parts: Material, print orientation, infill, fasteners and loads affect strength. A part that looks like the original in a photograph is not automatically mechanically equivalent.
Verdict
Make: Volume 45: Robot Workshop is a broad, engaging 2015 maker issue whose strongest current value is inspiration, mechanical experimentation and historical context. It can reward readers willing to modernize electronics and verify build details, but it is a poor substitute for current component documentation, a beginner’s complete robotics course or competition safety rules.
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