DIY DRAWING ROBOT When we featured electronic bit maker, littleBits, I instantly knew I wanted to make something fun for the kids using the bits. I'm not an engineer by training, nor do I have the technical knowledge to make things from scratch. Which is why I love the idea of circuit boards that snap together - making it fun and easy to build what you want. Since my kids are interested in art, we decided to make a drawing robot! This took some thought on how to put together, but once we decided on a plan, it was a breeze to make. (Note: this post is not sponsored by littleBits. DIY Drawing Robot - Materials: - littleBits coin battery (this is what powers the robot and it's rechargeable with an included USB cord) - littleBits vibration motor (this is what makes the robot moves, similar to how a cell phone vibrates) - small piece of cardboard - thin markers - rubber bands Here is a close-up of the bits. Steps: 1. 2. And you're done! This was fun and educational for both kids and adults.
Pendulum Painting Resources: Artist’s Tempera Paint available from DaVinci Artist Supply; all other tools and materials available from craft-supply and hardware stores. STEAM Project: Tiny Dancers (A Homopolar Motor) Today we are getting a bit artsy with our science! Does the idea of making a wire sculpture that “dances” entice you……? Tiny Dancers is the third project in our collaborative series STEAM POWER: Empowering kids to explore the world through creative projects. Today’s topic is HARNESS! Because harnessing refers to making use of resources to produce energy we decided to try making a homopolar motor. A homopolar motor is probably the simplest DIY motor you can make. Make motors that dance! This post contains affiliate links to products I love and recommend to my readers. Neodymium magnets are extremely strong and MUST BE KEPT OUT OF REACH OF SMALL CHILDREN! Also please note that these motors do heat up. Note: Before we get started I want you to know that despite this looking very easy there is a fair amount of TWEAK TIME you will need to invest to make this project work! Materials download our template here Instructions Tips MONITOR THESE FOR HEAT! Troubleshooting What’s happening? Looks Like