• Question: is it possible to make a robot out of ordinary materials that you could find at home?

    Asked by amy2004+sidney2005 to Siobhan, Ollie, Mateusz, Katie, Iulia on 13 Mar 2017.
    • Photo: Iulia Motoc

      Iulia Motoc answered on 13 Mar 2017:

      It all depends. You could make a very basic robot, which will probably not have any circuits or motors. Engineering is really about finding solutions that are inexpensive.

    • Photo: anon

      anon answered on 14 Mar 2017:

      Oh yeah, just thinking about it for a few minutes gives me plenty of ideas! 🙂

      You can use rubber bands as your motors. You can expand them for a short, but powerful burst, or twist them for a slightly longer motion. Pens and pencils can be your detectors – if you press on a pen, for example, it could trigger a rubber band to release something else.

      Plastic bottles would make a good body, which would resist water as well! And you can paint it too!

      So, with just a few household items you can certainly make some simple contraptions!

    • Photo: Katie Pavey

      Katie Pavey answered on 15 Mar 2017:

      Hi Amy & Sidney – I think home made robots are the best kind of robots.

      As an engineer, your job is to find solutions to problems using the resources and materials you have around you. So making a basic ‘robot’ from scratch is a super way to learn.

      I used to take apart my old toys when I was little and use the parts to make my own inventions. My parents weren’t so happy about the mess though!

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