Have you always wanted to build your own working robot? Here, we will learn what a robot needs to work. There are a few key requirements that need to be met when building a robot:

- It needs a power source‍

- It needs to be able to move‍

- And it needs to accomplish a task

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‍Materials:

- Small Section of a Pool Noodle

- Toothbrush Motor

- 3 Washable Markers

- Paper

- Tape

Note: The small pool noodle came from a larger pool noodle we cut. The toothbrush motor is an electric toothbrush from the local dollar store with the bristle part taken off.

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Procedure:

1. Pull a long piece of tape and lay it out with the sticky side up. Place your small pool noodle in the middle of the tape.

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2. Place one marker on either side of your small pool noodle. Make sure the line between the cap and the marker body is even with the edge of the noodle. Wrap the tape around the noodle to secure the markers.

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3. Add your last marker in the center between your other two markers. These markers will be your robot’s legs. Your robot is now able to stand on its own. When something stands on three legs, it is known as a tripod.

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4. Add your motor to the hole in the center, take the caps off of the markers, and place your robot on the paper. So, what is the task the robot is accomplishing? Making art!

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What’s happening? To build a robot you needed to make sure you followed these three requirements:

A robot needs…

- A power source

- To be able to move

- To accomplish a task

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For a power source, you used a battery which produces electricity and to move, you used a small electric motor. For the task it accomplished, it made art!

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The motor you used today is an electric motor. It uses small electromagnets to help turn a metal rod connected to an unevenly balanced weight on top. The unbalanced weight causes the whole thing to vibrate or shake. When the motor caused the vibration, the robot was able to move and create art by moving the markers with it.

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