BuzzBots:
A DIY Robotics Kit for Children
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The goal for this project was to create a simple 3D-printed robotics kit that allows children ages 5-18 explore the topics of simple circuit building and puzzle assembly. I called these kits "BuzzBots." Each bot was equipped with a battery, a vibration motor, and a switch (if possible), and a set of 3D-printed parts to house these components. The parts snapped together and were uniform between all BuzzBots so that parts of different colors could be exchanged for the sake of customization. I found the simple design of the vibrating Hex Bug toys to be compelling, but I wanted to provide a more empowering experience by allowing users to take apart and put together the bots to understand how they work.
To begin the process of making the BuzzBots, I planned out how all the components could come together in an intuitive way. This involved some rough sketching and lots of cursory rapid-CAD, as I like to call it, and after brainstorming a few ideas, I settled on one promising one. I realized I could build a small casing for the vibration motor and make a pocket in that casing for the battery to slide right in. When the wires from the motors were stripped down just enough, they would come into contact with the battery and complete the circuit. I started with this one piece and added additional pieces, such as a mount for a switch, the two halves of the body, and the snap-on legs. |
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The part in the process with the biggest learning curve for me was figuring out how to securely install all the electrical parts. The motors and batteries seemed easy enough—just strip the wires and pop the parts right in. Unfortunately, the wires in the vibration motors are quite thin and nearly impossible to strip with any conventional wire stripper. This led to several wires getting broken off beyond the point of repair. I soon realized, thankfully, that I could strip the wires very carefully with an X-Acto knife. The trickiest part of all, though, was figuring out how to attach a switch to the motors. The most ideal scenario was to solder on some female header pins to one of the motor wires, connect the switch leads to male header pins, and make the two parts snap together. Unfortunately, the tight space I had given myself to squeeze these parts into made this process extremely difficult. The header pins soldered onto the thin wires were simply too delicate to be fiddled with over and over, so I decided to make one single BuzzBot with a switch and seal it up. This also became the one bot I attached markers to in order to create a shake-art toy.
The BuzzBots were deployed at MITxMake on April 24, 2018; the experience was framed as a multi-stage process in which children could design and assemble their bots and then compete in the Buzzathlon. The Buzzathlon included games like BuzzBot Pool, where the first bot to fall into a pocket won, and BuzzBot Sumo where two bots facing off in a ring would compete to see who could stay in the longest. One unexpected realization I had at the deployment was that sometimes simpler is better. Although I had been aiming for a simple and intuitive interface in general, it seems there may have been too many parts which actually inhibited the bots’ performance. When the users just placed the battery in the motor casing and didn’t put that into the rest of the assembly, the vibrations from the motor were much stronger and led to more exciting behavior.
The greater number of pieces did have its advantages, though. It let the kids mix and match colors to make their own customized bot, and the assembly took on a more critter-like experience. Some kids had assembled their own army and were naming them as they rooted for their favorites to win in the competitions. In addition to the wide age range of kids, I had several adults come up and express excitement and interest at the product. One acknowledged that this product was a great way to allow kids to see how their toys actually worked, whereas the standard Hex Bugs do not. Many parents enjoyed watching their children engage with the bots and appeared excited that their kids could learn something while having a great time.
The BuzzBots were deployed at MITxMake on April 24, 2018; the experience was framed as a multi-stage process in which children could design and assemble their bots and then compete in the Buzzathlon. The Buzzathlon included games like BuzzBot Pool, where the first bot to fall into a pocket won, and BuzzBot Sumo where two bots facing off in a ring would compete to see who could stay in the longest. One unexpected realization I had at the deployment was that sometimes simpler is better. Although I had been aiming for a simple and intuitive interface in general, it seems there may have been too many parts which actually inhibited the bots’ performance. When the users just placed the battery in the motor casing and didn’t put that into the rest of the assembly, the vibrations from the motor were much stronger and led to more exciting behavior.
The greater number of pieces did have its advantages, though. It let the kids mix and match colors to make their own customized bot, and the assembly took on a more critter-like experience. Some kids had assembled their own army and were naming them as they rooted for their favorites to win in the competitions. In addition to the wide age range of kids, I had several adults come up and express excitement and interest at the product. One acknowledged that this product was a great way to allow kids to see how their toys actually worked, whereas the standard Hex Bugs do not. Many parents enjoyed watching their children engage with the bots and appeared excited that their kids could learn something while having a great time.