Kaibot Robot Storage: Prototype

 

Challenge: To produce an original storage solution to house a Kaibot.    The storage needs to include space for the robot, and space for challenge cards above the storage.   The storage needs to personalised for another school and classroom.

Background: We are always looking for ways to help and spread projects to other schools and classrooms.  As an Apple Distinguished School we are also looking for other schools in the network to help.  The recent NZAIMS Tournament in Tauranga for Y7/8 was another example of this.   Normally after each game it is customary to sometimes offer a gift to the other team that were playing, in this case we presented the other team with glow-in-the-dark 3D Printing Badges and Keyrings.

In this example the Kaibot Robot needed to have potential storage.  The task was presented to all of the students in the classroom with a prompt using Chat GPT (as shown left).   The prompt created an image and details for the project which was then pushed out to the students via Seesaw.   The students were tasked with creating a design and were then tasked to AR/VR the created storage into the classroom setting to check on its viability.   You can see the design projection in the first photograph in this post.   When we then went through the selections from the classroom it was decided to move forward to a single physical print - which is detailed below.  Each student (from our class of twenty five eight and nine year olds) was allowed to buddy work with another individual or to work by themselves to complete the project and at this stage the publishing was restricted to the virtual completed tasks.

This allowed the students to review their designs, share them with others and then look and consider adaptions that might need to be made.   It also allowed the publishing of each students example via their Seesaw portfolio.    The teacher then made a decision about the number of prints that might be completed moving forward as the dimensions of the print were significant and realistically printing an entire class run of these objects would take time.

Resources used to complete this print: iPad, Tinkercad App, Chat GPT, Kaibot Website, Bambu P1S, Bambu Candy PLA (regular).

Size:   The print is 130mm across the front, is 100mm wide and is 80mm high.   This contrasts with the suggestions made in the ChatGPT prompt which suggested making a width of 300mm.   Although we don't physically have a Kaibot Robot one of the students has come up with the idea of printing a cube, or making a mock up of the same dimensions of the robot and use this as a design point.

The insert into the base of the storage is 100mm wide 30mm high and is 80mm deep.   The four storage bays at the top of the storage for the cards measures 25mm by 50mm.    Again the intention is to mock up a card of the correct dimensions and then apply it to this storage to see if it work.

Cost: The price point for producing this print is $3.47c on the basis of the print using 220g of PLA.   There was considerable rafting that was produced primarily by the insert where the robot is intended to be stored.   In theory this could be produced in different parts and then glued together however there would be questions about stability if this was the case.

Timeframe: To complete this print the Bambu P1S was operating for five hours and twenty minutes to complete the project.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: The students need to consider the dimensions of what has been produced relative to the dimensions of the actual robot.  While at times there is an assumption that something will fit without there being an ability to move the object around and have space between the walls or the top of the object.   There is a slight ramp here although it has a steep angle so the consideration should be if the robot can make this up.  This has been a challenge when producing housing for Sphero Robots as shown in this laser cut project.

As noted the next step is to consider the effectiveness of the physical design.   If it does not work in conjunction with the robots how can we upscale or up-cycle this design? How can it be used for additional projects or converted for another purpose?

3D Printed Insect: Pet Day 2026

Challenge: For a junior school students to create a unique and original 3D CAD model of an insect, suitable for an art display.

Background:   We are a school of 170 students in rural South Taranaki, New Zealand,.  One of the biggest events that we have each year at our school is our Pet Day.   On these days the students are able to bring calves and lambs for show and we also have additional sections including 'Most Loved Pet'.   As well as all of these events, detailed in Mr Bloor's amazing school videos we also have our art displays in each of the classrooms.  It was these displays that we've also used in the past for 'Tinkercad Hunt', which you can view by clicking on the link here.

Each of students has a range of art based activities to complete - one of the junior ones is to turn a tin can into a creation.   To complement this the students have to create an original insect to be part of this display.   The students were using Tinkercad and the Tinkercad app to complete this process.  This is a classroom challenge our students making these designs are eight and nine years old.  

For our English writing this term we have been focussed on information report writing and one of the categories that we investigated and the students wrote about was insects, where they spent time researching the characteristics and features of an insect.   We used 'chat GPT' as a resource generated which created the sheet top left, cross referencing Tinkercad and creation, this generated a checklist and ideas to support students.

We also used as a reference point some images of insects that had been 3D generated and created from a range of sources - we looked at examples online, what was available as a Tinkercad research and examples that have previously featured on this blog.

The students were encouraged to use the Tinkercad main interface and the shapes that were available form there.

One highlighted is the example of the ant shown left.  The student was able to create this in a single session by working and manipulating basic shapes.   We had spoken to the students about the criteria that we wanted to see on the designs from the antenna to the thorax, head and abdomen - and this was check listed via the chatGPT resource.

When the design was completed we also tasked the students with AR/VR of their design into an outside location and an inside classroom location in the school.   We have detailed this in the past and explained how with our classroom of twenty five students this allows all students the opportunity to publish something, without having to wait for a potential delay while the prints might be accessed.

The image shown left is the AR/VR via the Tinkercad App of the ant super sized and placed on the school playground to provide it with a scale.

Once this had been completed and the students had been given the opportunity to review their print and design, check against the checklist and receive some peer feedback we then moved to the process of starting to print a selection of the designs.

Resources used to complete this print: Tinkercad App, iPad, Bambu H2D, Blue Bambu PLA

Level of Difficulty: Medium.   This task challenged the students, this examples is one of the earliest stand out ones to come from a class of twenty five students and was used as a way to encourage others to think about the design.   Further details of course could and will be added but it was also important to have a student complete the process to use as a talking point for others.

Size: The print as it stands measures 70mm in length, is 30mm wide and currently stands 60mm high being 50mm in length from the foot to the shoulder.

Cost/Price:  The print as it stands uses 16g of PLA to complete the print - this has a price point of $0.40c.

Timeframe: To complete this print the printer was operating for one hour and six minutes, which included a six minute machine warm up time.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: The leg at the front left, facing the ant, did not survive the removal of the rafting, it needs to be repositioned.   The ant itself could benefit form more details on the face.   The ant could of course be spray painted to represent a particular colour or kind of ant and then a paint pen or similar item could be used to create additional detail.