Saturday, 20 April 2013

HEA STEM2013 Conference: Junkbots Poster and Prezi

ABSTRACT: The School of Science and Technology at the University of Northampton have been working with local schools to create robots made from junk and also to use robots programmed by the students to perform simple rubbish clearing exercises. This is an initiative by the University to introduce environmental sustainability, engineering and computing to students in schools.

If you would like to know more about the Junkbots project contact scott.turner@northampton.ac.uk

Tuesday, 2 April 2013

Return to South End

During National Science and Engineering Week 2013, as part of the activities provided by the University of Northampton, the Junkbots project returned as part of programme of activities to South End Primary School, Rushden, northamptonshire, UK.

National Science and Engineering Week is annual event celebrating science and engineering activities (http://www.britishscienceassociation.org/national-science-engineering-week)

Last year during the same week Junkbots also formed part of the activities (see http://junkbots.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/junkbots-goes-south.html).

This time we worked with two classes - a year 2 and a year 5 class; building the drawing junkbot. Examples of previous drawing junkbots are shown above. Approximately 50 children took part across the two 45 minute activities.

Essentially a drawing junkbot is based around a drinks can that:
- draw patterns without anyone touching it;
-carried the battery pack or not depends on the age of the group;
-moves by shaking a can using an unbalanced motor with 'legs' make from pens.

Related links

Details of the work developed and a case study can be found at: http://www.hestem-sw.org.uk/project?id=16&pp=540
Details of the case study can be found at: http://projects.hestem-sw.org.uk/upload/Junkbot_june_northampton.pdf
Details of an in-school session plan can be found at: http://projects.hestem-sw.org.uk/upload/Planning_Process_junkbots_KS3_4_longer.docx
Details of an STEM club session plan can be found at: http://projects.hestem-sw.org.uk/upload/Planning_Process_junkbots_primary_short8.docx
Previous visit to South End School see http://junkbots.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/junkbots-goes-south.html)

If you would like to know more about the Junkbots project contact scott.turner@northampton.ac.uk

Monday, 25 February 2013

Rubbish – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle into toys!

Related to the junkbots project.

Taken directly from http://lab13network.wordpress.com/2013/02/22/rubbish-reduce-reuse-recycle-into-toys/ Rubbish – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle into toys! Lab13 at Irchester (@Lab_13Irchester)

by lab13network

Waleed and Jacob searching for goodies!

Year 5 students at Irchester have been working on a very exciting project with the Dept. of Waste Management, University of Northampton. Dr. Waleed Montasser and Louise Maxwell, and Bianca, Evie and Livia (Brazilian visiting students) work alongside our Year 5s to design, plan, resource and make different Science Takeaways all using reusable and recycled materials.

Science Takeaways will be a set of four science kits with different experiments for children to borrow for the weekend and try at home. They will collect data or test hypotheses and add to the kit if they think of some new way of using it.

However, we wanted to keep these takeaways as reusable and “green” as possible and didn’t want to spend a lot of money making them! Waleed had the great idea of using Phoenix Resource Centre in Raunds.

They collect clean usable waste (including off-cuts of material, wood, card), surplus stocks, end of lines and unwanted goods / returns from industry and local businesses. Anything that can be re-used then gets put onto shelves for people to reuse. As you can see we did a great job of finding just the right things we needed!
Today, we have visited the site for the first time to collect and resource our projects. It was a freezing but really cool place and John on of the trustees helped us fill our trolleys! What they are doing there is very good for the environment even the actor who plays Ron Weasly think so and have visited them!

Aimee and Livia are happy with what they have found!

Aimee, age 9, says “I think that this is a good place because it stops all the materials from going into landfill. It makes people reduce waste and reuse things so that we can have a nice county instead of a big smelly dump in the ground!

If you would like to know more about the Junkbots project contact scott.turner@northampton.ac.uk

Thursday, 29 November 2012

Dad’s Robot Lab!

Taken from a blog written at Irchester Primary School http://lab13network.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/dads-robot-lab/ about a robot activity. For more details about Lab_13 go to: http://lab13network.wordpress.com/

Dad’s Robot Lab!

Posted on November 28, 2012

Hi! This is Morgan and Emily. Our Dads come to Dads Club in Lab_13.

Last week, we had some visitors! They demonstrated how all of the robots worked. There were some amazing remote controlled robots and a Lego robot. The name of the person who worked with all of the extraordinary robots was Scott Turner. We were amazed by the robots. Thank you for coming.

The Lego robot could be controlled by the computer. The other robot could do handstands, roly-polys and cartwheels. Some were doing gymnastics, walking, bowing and dancing. The Lego robot just went all over the place!

Emily’s stepdad, Robin, said “It was fantastic – I want a robot for Christmas.”Unfortunately they are £800! And Kris, Kieran’s dad said “Thanks for organising the robot lab … a nice little event, an amazing robot!”

The robots used can be found at the Active Robots site : http://www.active-robots.com/robots/robot-kits-1/robonova-humanoid-robot-rtw-ready-assembled.html

If you would like to know more about the Junkbots project contact scott.turner@northampton.ac.uk

Monday, 1 October 2012

Alexandra

Just a quick bit, but Alexandra (can find more at Alex's reflections) talks about her time as a student and includes her work on the Lego robots from the Junkbots project.

If you would like to know more about the Junkbots project contact scott.turner@northampton.ac.uk

Monday, 20 August 2012

Blog usage statistics

Friday, 13 July 2012

junkbots in northampton

Last Wednesday (11th June 2012) junkbots returned home. During the Inspiring Girls into Engineering event held at the School of Science and Technology, University of Northampton a junkbots session was held.

Two groups of girls from two local primary schools built a drawing junkbots remarkably quickly (going to have to think of ways to extending it!) that
- drew patterns without anyone touching it;
-carried the battery pack (4 AA batteries)

Details of the work developed and a case study can be found at: http://www.hestem-sw.org.uk/project?id=16&pp=540

Details of the case study can be found at: http://projects.hestem-sw.org.uk/upload/Junkbot_june_northampton.pdf

Details of an in-school session plan can be found at: http://projects.hestem-sw.org.uk/upload/Planning_Process_junkbots_KS3_4_longer.docx

Details of an STEM club session plan can be found at:
http://projects.hestem-sw.org.uk/upload/Planning_Process_junkbots_primary_short8.docx

If you would like to know more about the Junkbots project contact scott.turner@northampton.ac.uk