Kids interested in building robots? Most kids love the idea of making robots, but robots are one of the most complicated engineering systems that humans have ever made. Younger kids can get started making real robots by learning the basics of programming, engineering, and electrical systems. This Squishy Circuit robot shows kids on the most basic level what sort of work goes into making a real robot. After working to make a robot that has light-up eyes, kids will appreciate the work that goes into making real robots even more!
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Squishy Circuits Robot: Electrical Engineering Design Challenge
What you’ll need for the circuit robot:
- Squishy circuits kit
- Modeling clay (for insulating dough)
- Play dough (for conductive dough)
You can make your own dough using the recipe we used with our squishy circuit lego clock.
The challenge of this particular circuit project is to get the two eyes to light up. Our robot was loosely based on the design for Wally, although we didn’t realize he was our inspiration until our robot was made.
First, build a robot body out of insulating dough and two eye sockets and a head from insulating dough.
Poke the LED lights through the eye sockets and back of the head. On the other side of the robot, you’ll put two segments of conductive dough to connect to the long and short ends of the circuit wires. Remember that the red wand goes into the short side of the LED light and the black side connects to the long side of the LED light. Add insulating dough, if need be, to keep the conductive dough apart. On our robot, we connected one side of the circuit to the ball of dough and the other to the circuit of dough.
You can also give your robot legs and arms.
Plug the wands into the conductive dough and turn your battery pack on.
The robot should light up.
What Kids Learn Making a Squishy Circuit Robot
Squishy Circuits introduce electrical engineering to kids in a safe, kid-friendly way. Kids are delighted that they can stick wires into play dough and make lights and sounds. These projects are a super-fun way to get kids interested in learning more about electrical engineering, circuits, and robot programming.
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