That’s a great little robot
That’s a great little robot project, which I was able to read with Google translate.
I think I have most of what is needed on hand to build a prototype at least. Thanks for the idea!
That’s brilliant! I’ve got
That’s brilliant! I’ve got to do this with my kids. It’s a great idea for a children’s museum too. Thanks so much. This one is definitely IN!
Here’s a link to the Squishy Circuits website, which includes the TED video Geir linked, plus instructions and circuit examples.
I did try this with my son
I did try this with my son and it was pretty cool.
Sparkfun picked up on this TED Talk as well, and posted this article.
My kids have Play-Doh tools for shaping and cutting the dough, which will make it easy to create interesting shapes for the Squishy Circuits.
"go" bots
Earlier this year I facilitated three workshops for children on which they all made simple go-bots (when they are on, they just go, think bristebot/symet) solely out of the parts from old pagers. Their kits were a pager, coin cell battery, tape, and some loose wire. we also has other craft stuff on hand like pipe cleaners and colorful wire to add on for cooler features. At the beginnig of the workshop, I told everyone what these pagers were when they were useful, and then told them that they were now really eggs for robots, and using recycling, we were going to hatch them and make them into our very own creatures.
It was an easy project, inexpensive and fun for kids to use their rampant imaginations to make a bug of their own design. One or two adults can handle the soldering well as there is only the task of solder two leads onto the pager motor tabs. The rest of the construction can be done with hot glue, or quick tack.
Pics of results: http://www.reuseum.com/2011/01/big-brothers-big-sisters-bot-building-workshop-1-22-11/
Hope this helps!
That is full-on awesome!
That is full-on awesome! Thanks for this idea. You’ve got lots of other cool workshops posted on your site as well. It sounds like you are doing good work over there at reuseum!
If I go through with this, I may come to the reuseum store for the parts.
Certainly
Make sure and contact me directly and I’ll make sure and send some fun stuff we have lying around here.
-David
RE: bristlebots
I’ve been pretty stubborn about letting go of having some sort of cool robot that is low-cost but interesting. I’ve run down the bristlebot idea and decided a phototropic battery powered version is becoming reasonable. I’ve super simplified from the costly beast I made and am opting for this setup:
https://www.robotshop.com/letsmakerobots/node/12147
Two brushes, two motors, two diodes, two photo resistors. I believe a 3V Li+ coin cell would be sufficient. Connect the brushes with some cardstock that can be “arty-ed” up to look like a critter of some kind. I’d solder the leads onto the motors before hand. Hold the whole creation together with good-ole doublesided tape. I’ve got the cost looking something like:
motors: $2
battery: $1/$0 (I can have my employer supply them as an unknown “corporate donation”)
CdS cells: $2
Tape and body materials: <$1
Toothbrushes: ???
I know they give away toothbrushes at dentists but would they be cool with me grabbing a handfull now and again? It’s possible. In case they don’t I’m curious to hear if anyone knows of cheap, plentiful toothbrush sources.
The closer I can get to keeping these guys around $5 the greater the chance of being able to send them home with their builders. I really dig that idea.
I like it. Droping the solar
I like it. Droping the solar cell saves some cost and makes the whole thing less fragile and easier to balance. It is more interesting than just a one motor/one brush bot, since it can follow light. I guess I’d need a bunch on cheap LED flashlights on hand as well, so the kids can play with the bots.
I found websites that sell packs of toothbrushes, which are pretty cheap. I’ve heard that you want one of the newer style brushes that have the bristles at an angle, rather than an old fashioned one with the bristles at 90 degress to the brush. Any thoughts on that? How particular do I need to be about the brushes?
What a nice project you are
What a nice project you are working on! 
And a bunch of cool ideas also! BTW How big is your budget for this event?
Somewhere between 0 and a
Somewhere between 0 and a few hundred dollars.
A site I have seen before
http://highschoolrobots.com/default.aspx
They walk you through construction and avoid a good bit of the cost of a SHR.
I just received the pager
I just received the pager motor and battery combo I ordered from Electronic Goldmine. The motor is soooo tiny; it is smaller than other pager motors I have seen. The battery that comes with it dwarfs it, but still fits OK on a toothbrush head.
I tested it out on a quickly built bristlebot, and it works fine. I think this is the winning combo. I think I will add pipe-cleaner legs for better stability and direction control, and some googly eyes for personality.
The pagers you sent arrived
The pagers you sent arrived and I play tested two of them with my kids. My daughter Anna (aged 4) was interested for a while, and glued some “eyes” and a mouth onto the case. Then she decided to paint it, which came out nice.
My son William (aged 7), is really into robots. He designed feet, eyes, an antenna and solar panel. He was quite proud of his creation, and the fact that he desoldered components from the circuit boards to use in the design.
I’ll try to post pictures of both soon.
Very nice!
How did the soldering and battery attachment go? Everyone thinks about that part last…
Fine. My son soldered to the
Fine. My son soldered to the two contacts on the motor. I cleaned them first with a pencil eraser. I don’t like soldering to batteries, so we used double sided foam tape to attach to the battery. We made a little hook and latch switch with two ends of tinned wire and off we went.
Glad it went well.
Foam tape is proof that we are loved, and should be happy. I’ve been using the brassish looking spring and contacter soldered onto the motor leads. You are right one should never solder to batteries. Who would want to heat those up anyways?
The museum director is
The museum director is actually worried about using the coin cell batteries, because younger children might swallow them. I may see how well a AA works.
What if you developed some…
kind of challenge program. Like where… for older kids, you grouped them in teams. ( this would have to be after they learned some robotics stuff) Then develop a pretty easy challenge… like the ones here on LMR. Maybe give them a few hours. Or heck a whole day or two. THen they have to return with the finsihing project and display it. Maybe give out a prize. You would probably have to give them some resources to build it also. It might be just a little overboard… but you could probably make it better.
I have realtives that live
I have relatives that live in martinsville, nj, and I was wondering what the location of the children museum is because I am going to visit them this fall and I would like to come check it out!
Sorry to post late, but what happened?
I’m just curious to find out what you ended up doing?