There are 13 different project robots that you can build at home, split into 3 difficulties - Basic Bots for beginners, Simple Robots for those with a little bit of confidence and understanding and Smart Makes, for when your child is ready to take over the world...
Although you will need some equipment to make your robots, it's all easy to find stuff that you should have around the home or that can buy online quite cheaply, for pennies in some cases. The robots are all designed to be accessible to as many readers as possible and casings/chassis are made from whatever your child has to hand - meccano, LEGO, card or other construction materials.
Robot projects start with very basic robots that jump and vibrate to move, and progress to motion-activated catapults and robots that can be programmed or can even write. Instructions and components are clearly laid out and it's very easy to follow - once your child has begun to remember what everything is. There is some technical language, but it's easy to decipher and teaches everyone the correct terminology.
At 160 pages this is a great book for younger scientists who are ready to try something a bit more tricky. It may appeal more to children who already have an interest in robotics and science, and it supports and expands on many of the topics and themes they'll cover in technology, science and computing. I feel it's a great launch platform for any child who is excited about using electricity or coding to do interesting things, but doesn't know where to start.
The projects are all worthwhile and have an end result you can show to people proudly. They are clearly inspired by people who actually make robots themselves, rather than a collection of projects that just sound interesting. Your child might need a bit of help, but I think no parent will be too reluctant to join in and work together.
Home Robotics: Maker-Inspired Projects For Building Your Own Robots is written by Daniel Knox, published by Aurum Press (QuartoKnows) and will be released on 18th January. Available to pre-order now rrp £14.99 from all good book shops instore and online, including Amazon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have an amazing 6 copies of Home Robotics to give away to my readers. I have a Twitter giveaway which you can find HERE (ends Midnight Sunday 21st January) and I am also giving away 3 copies here on the blog (ends midnight Sunday 11th Feb). UK entrants only, full terms and conditions at the bottom of the Gleam form.
For help with Gleam or to see my other UK giveaways, please go to my giveaways page..,
I have an amazing 6 copies of Home Robotics to give away to my readers. I have a Twitter giveaway which you can find HERE (ends Midnight Sunday 21st January) and I am also giving away 3 copies here on the blog (ends midnight Sunday 11th Feb). UK entrants only, full terms and conditions at the bottom of the Gleam form.
For help with Gleam or to see my other UK giveaways, please go to my giveaways page..,
Home Robotics: Maker-Inspired Projects For Building Your Own Robots Giveaway (3 winners)
We were sent our copy of Home Robotics for review. Amazon links are affiliates, which costs you nothing extra, but may one day make me a millionaire. Or at least pay for some chips...
This looks awesome. My boys would love this. What a great price too and if you can get the items to make simply, I think this would be fab. My middle boy's birthday this month too x
ReplyDeleteI had a quick Google before I posted and there are tons of electrical suppliers online selling the parts, and some of them the postage is the main cost, so try and buy from one supplier, but yep, they're easy to get hold of! :)
Delete12 drummers drumming were delivered on the 12th day of christmas, this would drive me insane I would like 12 giant bars of chocolate to be delivered to me on 12th night
ReplyDeleteI would love 12 books - I would love the latest crime reads - that would keep me busy the whole year x
ReplyDeleteI would calle it Walle and it would take care of all the ironing!
ReplyDeleteI hate trying to get the cat hairs out of the stair carpet and also washing the skirting boards. A robot to do those would be great.
ReplyDeleteIrony Mae - my nightmare chore ironing !
ReplyDeleteBasil Bog Brush - he would clean the toilet!
ReplyDeleteIt will for ironing and I will call my robot Ella
ReplyDeleteGreat prize
ReplyDeleteIt would have to be to do the ironing and I'd name it Pressston :-)
ReplyDeleteI would make a robot that could clean toilets and bathrooms as I hate doing that and I would call it MAGIC of it could do that lol!!
ReplyDeleteA washer upper called ERIC
ReplyDeleteI would like an Ironing robot. That seems to be a never ending chore. And if I had one (bought or invented) i would call it 'Miracle'.
ReplyDeleteI would like a robot that delivers cups of coffee and snacks to my husband. I would just call it The Waitress.
ReplyDeleteWould have to a cook and would call it Cookie
ReplyDeleteJust starting to evolve from basic lego in last few months, he would really find this helpful.
ReplyDeleteA lunchbox packer upper called "Saviour"
ReplyDeletewhat a cool book. it looks awesome :)
ReplyDeleteA kitty litter changing robot - its the worst!
ReplyDeletehoovthor and it would take care of all my hoovering and mopping needs
ReplyDeleteI would like a hoover to do the hoovering for me. I would call it Hoover
ReplyDeleteI would love a robot to do the ironing, I'd call him ironman
ReplyDeleteMy robot would be called lou lou and would be able to clean the loo
ReplyDeleteIf you could build a robot to take care of one of your repetitive chores, what would it be and what would you call it? KneesBend would be my dishwasher loader and unloader
ReplyDeleteMargaret Clarkson
ReplyDeleteIroning - because I hate it and it would be good to have a robot do it instead.
This looks like great fun it would cleaning the oven and i would call it Scrubs
ReplyDeleteA robot that could clean the toilet after my kids have been in there. I would call it 'overhaul'
ReplyDeleteI would build a garden robot for doing the weeding in the garden and call him weedle bot
ReplyDeleteI would get it to clean the toilet as i hate that job and call it the poo-tinator lol x
ReplyDeleteCleaning the bathroom and toilet. I would call it bath-bot.
ReplyDeleteI would also have one to clean the toilet and call it poo-man-choo.
ReplyDeleteI'd want one to follow my husband & pick up after him! I'd call it the Crappicker.
ReplyDeleteI'd love a robot to clean windows - I'd call him CThru x
ReplyDeleteI’d love robot to iron clothes
ReplyDeleteProbably Iron the clothes or do the cleaning :)
ReplyDeleteTucking my son back into bed when he repeatedly gets up a night.
ReplyDeleteThe washing up-he'd be called Sudso
ReplyDeleteFeeds the cats a tron!
ReplyDeleteMy Robot would help with the cleaning and i would call her Hilda !
ReplyDeleteOur robot would empty the dishwasher and put everything away.
ReplyDeleteMolly the maid and she would go round changing all the sheets in our B&B
ReplyDeleteWow! Brilliant prize. We would love this.
ReplyDeleteI would build a toilet cleaner called Nopoo Lou - a great STEM activity!!
ReplyDeleteI would call him BOB and he would be my washing up fairy!!
ReplyDeleteI think I'd like to make a robot to pre-warm & defrost my car. It would be an Auto de-froster.
ReplyDeleteI would have a robot named Steam who could take care of the cleaning!
ReplyDeleteI'd call him Sweetheart - he'd be doing the ironing , the washing up, the cleaning etc.
ReplyDeleteThe foot saver, searches out and picks up all Lego pieces!
ReplyDeleteA robot that could do all the washing and ironing and i'd call him Blitz.
ReplyDeleteI'd love a robot that would somehow tidy the kids rooms and sort their clothes out, they'd have to name it, as soon as technology is involved its all theirs!
ReplyDeleteI hate clearing the garden of dog poo! I'd call it Gabriel because I'd view it as an angel
ReplyDeleteI would like one to do the washing up as find it so boring
ReplyDeleteA robot to clean the oven and I would call it Angel
ReplyDeleteI would love a robot called Dustin Buffman that does all my dusting.
ReplyDeleteMy robot would pair socks and I would call it Pairpal
ReplyDeleteI would like my robot to make kids concentrate on homework and studying
ReplyDeleteI would call him Bumble, and he would do all of the ironing!
ReplyDeletemine would fold the washing and it would be called Harry
ReplyDeleteIt would be able to do all the ironing, and I'd call it Myridius,
ReplyDeleteI would have a dishbot who would load and unload my dishwasher 👦
ReplyDeleteMum 2.0
ReplyDeleteTo hang out the washing and i would call it zip line drier. This is because i am disabled and i find this very hard to do.
ReplyDeletea bot to do the hovering, i would call it sucky bot
ReplyDeleteid call him babe and he would clean the bathroom
ReplyDeleteI would have Ironizer to do the ironing.
ReplyDeleteI would have a bot to hang out the washing and sort out the socks. It would be called SOW - Sort Out Washing (Im pretty sure thats why my husband calls me that name hahahaha)
ReplyDeleteA washer upper called Swashy
ReplyDeleteA robot to cook my dinner, i'd call it Rob-ot Cook.
ReplyDeletea robot that cleans ovens
ReplyDeletesomething that could clean the cat litter trays would be amazing
ReplyDeleteI'd love a robot to sort out the clean washing into piles for each person including matching socks and then use a locating device to find the missing socks. To be called "sort and locate"
ReplyDeleteironing :)
ReplyDeleteDefinitely the ironing as it's never ending and he would be called ironot
ReplyDeletePlate wash bot - to do the washing up my most hated job!
ReplyDeletei'd call mine peggy it could peg the washing out then fetch i in when dry and fold it
ReplyDeleteI would love a robot that mowed the lawn, I would call it Robbie
ReplyDeleteA robot to do the dusting and cleaning up mucky hand prints on walls and doors. I'd name it Messatonic lol
ReplyDeleteCleaning the oven x
ReplyDeleteIroning - call it The Steam Machine
ReplyDeleteI’d have Cinderella the house cleaning robot I think, she’d make life so much easier x
ReplyDeleteCleaning the bathroom and called Combot
ReplyDeleteI would love a robot that mopped all the floors and I'd call it... Wendy
ReplyDeleteI’d have a robot to do the washing up & I’d call it bubblebot!
ReplyDeleteMine would be able to do the hoovering and I'd call it Hornby
ReplyDelete