Bristlebots

Watch Me Wiggle!

We had so much fun making bristlebots in STEAM Club this month. Bristlebots use a small vibration motor that buzzes when powered on, just like the ones used in cell phones and pagers. When these motors are attached to a support base they create a tiny bot that will walk, wiggle, and spin around the table. 

We explained to our students how to attach the motor wires to the battery but we challenged them to devise their own solutions for how to attach these components to their bristlebots. It was very impressive to see the solutions that the students came up with; we loved watching them tweak their designs to improve speed, change the balance, and to spin really fast. 

Students chose from a variety of bases, including toothbrush bristles, clothes pins, and craft sticks

Clothespins provide a great way to clamp the batteries in place while powering the motors.

Everyone had unique design ideas for their bots. We were very inspired by the display of creativity.

Red Rocks STEAM Club hard at work/play

Students learned how to make rapid prototypes and iterate on their designs to get the results they wanted. 

We couldn't do this without our parent support. We're so thankful for all the grownups who stay to assist with our projects.

This kind of open-ended design exploration is a great way develop problem solving and critical thinking skills. In the future we would love to expand on our bristlebots with specific design challenges (e.g. speed race, uphill climb, sumo-battle) to get our students to experiment with specific design modifications. Until then, we just love watching them move!

Want to make your own bristlebots at home? Here are the supplies we used, but feel free to use whatever materials you have on hand: