USB memory instead of PC's HDD?

Yes, I think it's possible. You can boot from a USB stick in the BIOS. By all means, though, make sure you can get it working before you toss the HDD.

True. 32gb is awfully small, especially if you're going to use Windows Vista or 7. It's doable, but it'll be tough. You could just get a solid-state drive, a proper one that attaches with SATA and will hold 120 gb at a semi-reasonable price ($145 after rebate): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
or 60 gb, $80 after rebate: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
They're plenty reliable: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jj3LvY0LYE
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I believe that it is a pain to do that, but that would barely leave you any room for data.

You can also use a linux live CD/DVD or USB flash.

Actually I am using Ubuntu not Windows for the robot. I really don't need that much space. 32 GB space is even more than what I need!

I have built an Ubuntu USB boot disk on my 4GB USB memory stick, but the problem is that it first opens a window and asks the user for choosing between "Try it now!" and "Install Ubuntu". Besides, it doesn't save the configuration, newly installed packages, files and documents properly...