miniFloppyBot Face05 Wheels02

thingiverse

The miniFloppyBot is a pioneering project within the "RoboGuts S.T.E.A.M. education program", where teachers empower students to find answers and solve problems by themselves as they learn the manufacturing process. I've designed these kits specifically for elementary and middle school classrooms, where students begin their lessons by having the class 3D printer start printing miniFloppyBot bodies, tops, wheels, and faces. Then, students start learning with the RoboGuts circuit board some basic electronics, including polarity, color codes, and various components. The student learns how to add a microcontroller chip (MCU) and different devices, LEDs, peripherals, and motors one at a time by making appropriate jumpers on the RoboGuts circuit board and adding jumper wires to complete the circuit design by following example wiring diagrams on the website (http://www.r2pv1.com/PICAXE28X2m/). After clicking on the jumper wire diagram, the student enters programming mode. In programming mode, the BASIC language program listing for the current lesson is displayed, ready to be copied and pasted into the chip being used in a programming editor. The student then programs the chip/module to run the lesson demo. Now, the student can begin experimenting by altering the programming code to help them better learn and understand structured programming and how the code works. Finally, after working on the beginner lessons and listening to the 3D printer printing out the kit parts for the class, the user is ready to tackle end projects – this is where the miniFloppyBots and BillyBot robot kits become fun talking 'n singing (in any language) toys that children have actually made themselves! That's the goal of this S.T.E.A.M. education program: to learn the entire manufacturing process starting with simple steps then experimenting and expanding to more advanced lessons due to the incentive to explore their own creativity. I hope schools will begin giving preschools professional 3D CAD/Modeling software to learn how to draw, color, and build their 3D modeling and math skills. Printer: non-sponsored printer Rafts: No Supports: No Notes: These parts are designed to print on almost any cheap 3D plastic printer and still easily fit and snap together without gluing, bolts, or rivets. The one caveat to these projects is the screws needed to attach the motors to the robot bodies; the screws needed to attach the 3D printed wheels to servo horns that also have a screw to attach the wheel to the motor. This may require some adult assistance. I also use a small dab of Gorilla glue on each end of the servo horn to fuse the servo horns to the wheels. I don't bolt down the RoboGuts circuit board or batteries; they just get stacked into the miniFloppyBot body using a small cardboard square at most for separation. Best printed with the body back down, the large thin flat on the bottom of the face down, and the top of the top down. Post-Printing Basic miniFloppyBot Assembly: The inner cavity allows for batteries, the RoboGuts circuit board built-up, and a speaker installed into the lid. The two side rectangle cuts are for miniServo motors that can be standard or continuous rotating depending upon the project being built. BoneHead sings The Saga of Watt and Hu Two 3D Printed Robots: As I learn how to write comedy, I continue to make little videos hoping one of them eventually goes viral confirming my comedy scripting skills... so far, that hasn't proven very successful.