For our upcoming Maker Faire presentation we wanted to make robotics more approachable. One barrier to robotics is, by its very nature, it lacks a human element. To bridge this robot-human divide, the bell hopper design requires two humans working together to power and control it. This only one goal, ring the bell.
Please note, this material is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please take a look at our disclaimer.
The bell hopper ended up very similar to the first drawing of the concept, which is rare for us. For the base board we used one of our small robot rig platforms. We use it to create supports for testing robot movements. It ended up looking so good we kept it for the final design. We always wanted ringing a bell to be the goal of the contraption, but originally did not think of using it as the head. Once we saw the bell with the body we changed the design to have it as the head because they fit so well together.
Here is a top view with the bell attached. The head’s weight caused a few engineering issues for us. The body was made of super light aluminum and the bell was heavy brass. To solve this we create a swinging counter balance inspired by the counter balance in Taipei 101.
For the switch to redirect the air we used a standard manual pneumatic lever. It is the same one we use for testing our robots.
The power supply is a bicycle air pump painted bronze to look more steampunk.
Here is the final design of the bell hopper.
It take two people working together to get the bells to ring. Cooperation is key! Come see it and more at this year’s Bay Area Maker Faire.
The HipMonster.com’s team was invited to do a middle school robotics presentation last month to show kids the fun side of robotics and technology. The audience was so awesome and engaged making it a fun experience for everyone.
The theme was how to take over the world using robots, making it fun to keep the students engaged. We used a steampunk template for our slides to match our robot designs and channeled Girl Genius when presenting.
Testing the controllers
The robots got banged up a bit in transport, but nothing got completely broken. The biggest issue was the wires getting pulled out from the Arduinos. Luckily, it was only the breadboard jumper wires which are easy to put back in place. None of the soldered wires were broken which could have been very hard to fix. Breadboard jumpers are designed to be repeatedly taken on and off. They are like tiny colorful USB cables which helps see how what each cable is connected to (this is important because sometimes you can have dozens of wires). When you solder a wire to a controller, it can only be broken to be removed. You solder wires by using melted metal called solder and a really hot device to melt the metal. When a solder connection breaks you need to melt the metal again to reattach.
Fixing the wiring
Here we are putting the finishing touches on Number Two and Number Three. All the robots traveled well and were up in running in thirty minutes except for one whose battery was faulty. When transporting batteries, we take extra care not to damage them and use a special carrying case.
We wrote a quick intro for the robots to perform to set the mood. After the intro, we dove right into robotics.
Here are three robot bodies. The first is Number Three. She can move her arms and hands, and talk. The middle is called Number Five. He can walk forward on his own using his four legs. The last is Number Two. He can’t do much, but he can still talk and move part of his arms.
All the robots lined up in the gym
For each robot body, you need to do several things. There needs to be a skeleton, a power source, and something that makes the robot move. When we are thinking of designs for our robots we often think of animals that already exist. We also take inspiration from robots in different books and webcomics.
Presenting to the school
Number Four is the most complicated one. It took us over one year to build her, and she is still being modified. Many other robots were also not built all at once but were gradually assembled as we got new ideas.
After you build the body, you have to give the robot a brain. in our robots, we use something called an Arduino.
It is basically a tiny computer that you can program to do different things. For our robots, we use Arduino to make the robot walk on its own, so we don’t have to use a remote control. For one robot, the Arduino can also choose the direction that it walks in, and how fast it walks. You can find a simple example here.
We code the Arduino from our computer, then the Arduino sends messages to the robot to control it. We edit the code based on our observations and new ideas.
We have many different types of robots that can move their whole body, each type demonstrates a different way of moving. We have the 4-legged walkers, which are our first moving robot design. They are made of metal pipes and have four legs and wheels for feet. We put wheels on their feet because we wanted less resistance and friction, but we didn’t want the robots to just be like a remote-controlled car. We wanted them to walk. The design of the legs and the “knee” has made a big difference.
Another design is our Seal robot. This one is very different, as it only has two legs and no wheels. The legs pull themselves forward, powered by linear actuators. To make sure that the legs don’t just go backwards and stay in place, we put wedge-shaped bits of foam at the bottom of the seal’s legs. When the seal moves forward, the wedges give no resistance, but when the legs pull back, the wedges stop them.
The next robot is our Bunny robot. The bunny robot is also unique because it was originally designed to hop. The two back legs push it forward, thanks to the springs. This one is powered by air and pistons, so you can get the sudden jolt that is harder to achieve with linear actuators. This robot is also one of the only robots made mostly out of wood. We took the idea for the legs from our wooden toys.
This is the Kangaroo. The kangaroo’s main difference besides the number of legs is the feet. The feet are small animal toys, designed to only go in one direction so they can move forward more efficiently. The back leg powers the whole robot, and we used linear actuators.
The last robot is the Mouse. The mouse is just a broken blow-dryer attached to wheels from some old toys. It is very simple, so we decided to make it walk on its own, completely uncontrolled and completely randomly, controlled by the Arduino. You can see the code here.
The mouse in action
Sorry, this photo was blurry, but the mouse was super fast that day-well charged batteries.
We want to give a big thanks to all who came to our robotics presentation, and everyone who helped and supported us! this was our first big presentation, and we couldn’t be more happy with how it turned out!
One thing we have always been jealous of is tails. Cats and dogs flaunt them as they strut around waving them in the air. So when making our dragon costume, we wanted a moving dragon tail that seemed alive. Not a dead tail, but one that had a personality of its own.
We searched through our past builds and thought the joint work on our little wooden robots would do the job. We also so some cool designs on the web like this one.
Please note, this material is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please read our disclaimer.
This build just needed some wood, bolts, wood glue, rubber bands and lots of duct tape.
Since we wanted the tail segments to interlocked we glued two pieces of 2X2 wooden dowels together. Be careful not to put too much wooden glue, it just needs a thin coat. Make sure to give it two days to dry, you don’t want it to come apart when you start cutting.
Measure out the segments carefully. You can vary the lengths depending one what look you are going for. We went with four inches length on the top part and one inch slots on the backside.
Here is a view of the final design. Each segment will have the same “hat” shape.
Each hat will fit together in an alternation pattern. We tried making the segment in “z-shape” but it did not move as organically as the “hat-shape”.
After carefully measuring, we used our trusty drill press to make the holes. Try to make a tight fit for the bolts. If the holes are too big the tail, may stick over time as the bolt cuts into the wood.
Now it is time to assemble! It fits together like puzzle pieces. Make sure to put bees wax on the segments to protect the wood.
Now on to the belt for the dragon tail. To create a base for the tail, we used cardboard and high grade duct tape. An earlier build with standard duct tape did not last very long. First cut out a piece of cardboard about 5 by 8 to help guide you as you “weave” the duct tape. The cardboard does not provide any real support but just helps you remember the shape. The bigger the base, the more stable the tail will be.
Weave strips of duct tape alternating between vertical and horizontal directions. You want to use several layer, enough that it can support the tail.
Next careful cut four slits in the base for the belts. We recommend two belts but one top belt can work depending on your custom. We used camping stapes for the belts with fast release clips to making taking the tail on and off easy. Here is another design that we borrowed element from.
Next punch two holes in the base for the bolts to secure the L-braces. The L-braces will attach the tail to the belt. Use big washers when attaching the L-braces to prevent them from twisting into the duct-tape.
Now, attached the tail using four wood screws. Use small screw and drill guide holes; you do not want to split the wood.
Finally, add two rubber bands at the base to give it some life and your tail is ready to be flaunted!
Here is a back view showing how the base looks when completed.
What do you do if you break a pot? This fun DIY moss terrarium will teach you a great way to decorate your space with recyclable materials! It will brighten up your space and help you avoid throwing away useful pottery!
Please note, this material is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please read our disclaimer.
Let’s make a moss terrarium! The first step is to pack in as much mud as you can without the mud falling off. You can press in flat shaped rocks for stairs and platforms, then put more mud on top of it for more support. To create stairs, find similar sized rocks and stack them on top of each other, with space in front of it.
Here is what it first looks like after you attach the platforms. We used slate as our rock, because it is very flat. We also put some rocks along the side of the pot to look like the side of a cliff.
Use a paintbrush and water to clean mud off of the rocks and the front edge of the pot so it doesn’t look too dirty.
Next, before the mud dries, walk around outside to gather mosses and small plants. Gently tear the moss to the right size and press it into the mud. More is more, so put moss on every available surface to make it look more like a forest. If the soil is too dry, or not sticking, slowly add water in small amounts.
For the small plants, poke a small hole and press it in. Put more moss over the exposed soil around it and press. If it is too small, first make a ball of mud around the roots of the plant and then press it in.
Gently water all of the plants with a mister or with your finger. Do not dump too much water all at once or you will kill your small plants and/or sweep away the rocks and mud.
You can also add some small decorations on the terrarium to create a landscape or a scene. Make sure to water it regularly! But if your plants die, you can use the same method to replace them!
jfheTo support the San Francisco Zoo, the HipMonsters’ sisters team, and a neighborhood friend decided to sell jewelry to raise money and awareness. Their efforts were a great success, raising nearly 400 dollars in two days of work, thanks to the generous and kind people of San Francisco.
Here is a selection of just some of the fundraiser jewelry sold! The jewelry is made with molding clay and painted with acrylic paint.
Thanks again to our neighbor friend and all the kind people who donated!
After finishing Number three, we wanted to make smaller and lighter walking robots. Leveraging what we had learned from building our first walking robot, we made two mini robots, Number Six and Number Seven!
Please note, this material is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please read our disclaimer.
Because we had a completed robot design it was easy to make sure we had all the parts we needed before beginning. Since Number Six and Number Seven were smaller we were able to spend about the same amount of money but use lighter steal parts. We hoped the reduced weight would make for better walking performance.
The steal tubes also had bolt threads as apposed to pipe threads. Pipe threads are “V” shaped which made it difficult to get a piece tightened pointing the correct direction. With bolt threads we could use a nuts to tighten the connection between the tube and the pivot joints however they were positioned.
Working as a team the assembling went fast and in less than a day we had the beginnings of two robot. One trick we have learned is to use the floor as an assembling space. We are cramped for space and using step stools can be tricky in a workshop so the floor tends to be safer.
Here is a completed frame. It cannot stand yet and has to be held up. Here we had the initial knee designs. The knee design was important when we were developing the first walker. Later we switched to a tube in the piston rod that acted more like a spring to prevent the leg from over extending. What is critical in our approached is letting the robot fall forward but stop the fall before the robot is in a position it cannot recover from. The sister team learned this trick from a class at school where the teacher said when humans walk forward it is more like a controlled fall.
Now we start on installing the air pistons. We had to repeat this process many time because we kept switching around to position of the pistons and the direction of the air tube couplings. If the pistons are not the same on both side the robot will veer to one side and if the coupling are facing apposing ways the tubing becomes impossible to arrange. We have found facing the coupling up is typically the best orientation.
We did have to modify the piston attachment by removing the peg. This did require a parent’s help as the clip that secured the peg was difficult to remove without breaking it.
Next we began attaching the pneumatic air tubes. When measuring make sure to know were the pneumatic solenoid valve will be attached and account for the full movement of the legs. It is best to do one tube, test it, then do the opposites side. We found as we added tubes we had to change the initial lay of of the tubes. The tube work is a bit of an art form much like wiring a control unit.
Here is a close up of the all the piston installed.
Here is another view of the tubing being fitted and a close up of the pneumatic solenoid valve. Make sure to do clean, straight cuts with a sharp scissors to assure not leakage when attaching to the couplings.
Here is a front view of a completed design for Number Six and Number Seven. For testing we used a leather book strap so we could reposition the components as needed. We also tested a number of different air pumps. This pump, which we did not use in the final design, was the quietest and used the least amount of power. Latter, we switched to another model because this model kept shutting off after prolonged use.
Like with other designed we used a garage door remote controller because it reverse polarity to the pneumatic solenoid valve which switches the air flow from one leg to the other enabling the robot to walk. It is the small black box in the center of the robot.
The battery we secure to the underside for protection (the light blue box under Number Six). Instead of doing lead acid battery for Number Six and Number seven, we switched to a 12V 6Ah Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery from our lead-acid battery due to it much lighter weight and increased amps.
Here is Number Six walking in our yard.
Here is Number Seven walking in our workshop.
And here we have all three robots, Number Five, Number Six, and Number Seven going for a walk together! The larger robot is Number Three. Number Seven is in front and Number Six is on the left.
Inspired by the character Professor Sprout (from Harry Potter) and this wonderful article, we set out to make our mandrake root for Halloween.
Please note, this material is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please read our disclaimer.
Mandrake roots are a mythical plant that has a root that looks like a person. They scream when they get pulled out of the ground, and hearing the screams can knock you out, or even kill you. They are featured in Harry Potter, but were invented before that. For more information, go to the article above.
The Supplies
For our mandrake roots, we used a type of foam-like clay called Foam-Mo. Foam-mo is really useful for making organic details like plants and animals. It air-drys and can be painted, but has to be sprayed with a plastic spray, or else it will disintegrate. We recommend using several layers of the under-coat spray for maximum protection. We painted the mandrakes with acrylic paint.
Make sure to use a nonporous surface for a build table or the Foam-Mo will stick to it once it dries. We used old cutting boards.
Making the arm
To make the mandrakes, we made ovals for the head and body, and tubes for the legs. We also rolled out thinner tubes for the tree branches and flattened small diamond shapes for the leaves. We used a pencil to made the lines in the leaves and to make the eyes, lines on the body, and the mouth. Remember, no two mandrakes are the same, so make them all slightly different.
Attaching the arm
Foam-mo is pretty delicate, so we needed to be careful when attaching stuff. To make it hold it’s shape, we used stuff to prop up the mandrake roots while they were drying. to make the edged look like roots, we gently pulled out thin strands of Foam-Mo at the end of all of the limbs.
After painting
After the Foam-Mo dries, we sprayed it with a plastic spray and painted it with acrylic paint. We painted them all slightly different shades of brown and green.
A potted mandrake!
Please DO NOT water your mandrake, even if they tell you to! They are definitely not waterproof.
Since we discovered how to make Number Five move, we decided to upgrade Number Three. We tried to preserve as much of the original design as possible, so we didn’t mess with the decorations or redesign the frame. We also made the legs stronger so the robot could support itself easily and won’t fall. Professor Brockenhoff was very pleased with being able to more effectively scare strangers!
Please note, this material is provided for informational and fun purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please read our disclaimer.
We started off by disassembling Number Three. Given how Number Three was designed as a framework, it was pretty easy to take apart.
Number Three’s Arm being Upgraded
We wanted to upgrade Number Three to make it move. Since walking with two legs is incredibly hard, we decided to only make the arms and hands move. We first used hinges to upgrade the hands so that they could open and close. Next, we had to replace the fixed joints with movable joints. Borrowing from extra part from Number Five, we added flexible joints for pipes to power a air brush. The added weight of the metal join required use adding more support for the legs. We tried plastic joints, but they failed durning testing.
Then we attached lightweight linear actuators to the joints to move them. Given we wanted more controlled movement and a quieter robot for our front parlor, we opted for electronic verse pneumatic power. We attached the linear actuators so that when they extended, the arms reached out and when they pull back, the arms bent.
And finally, for controls, we used a remote control unit for garage doors. Since we need the polarity to switch (the wires reverse, positive/negative to negative/positive) to have the linear actuators go in and out we had to make sure the control unit reversed the polarity not just turned the power off and on.
And now you see the update Number Three testing its arms with Professor Brockenhoff at the controls!
The Summer 2023 release of the Color Splash Collection is in!
Made from wood and painted in acrylic paint, each necklace is uniquely painted and secured with a silver wire. The color pallet is rich and drawn from nature. The wood is rough cut to give a natural, unrestrained look and feel. Look below to see each necklace in detail.
Sea Foam
Lava Flow
Night Ocean
Red Night
Summer Pond
Orange Sunset
Night Waves
All jewelry made at HipMonsters is crafted and designed by kids. Each is made with love and inspired by nature, science and a love of creating something new.
Here is the final design of the bell hopper.
Here is Number Six walking in our yard.
