Rapid Robots Workshop

The Rapid robots workshop was organized as a part of the Let's Get Physical! program of School of Machines, Making & Make-Believe at the FabLab Berlin. Niklas and I gave a one-week workshop in which the participants worked on building small robots, which we're constructed using RC servos and microcontrollers. The robots were presented in the end of the workshop and as each of them had a personal style and character, they were also awarded with special prizes.

The workshop started with opening colorful gift bags that contained three RC servos, a lollipop and other robot making essentials. The challenge was to build a moving robot out of the given materials. This included rigorous prototyping with the servos, cardboard, plastic pieces, clothes pins and loads of tape. Thorough material research was also done by exploring a pile of one Euro shop trash and treasures from our basement. It did not take long until fake Crocs and a miniature Barbie started to take the shape of a robot with the help of an Arduino microcontroller board.

Several incredible robots were made during the workshop week, all with their own character and twist. Some were marching determinedly forward with two legs, while others wiggling, driven by sound or light. Above you can see robots called by Ingo by Mario, Drawstar by Tom and Jiggety Jigbot by Brent. All the captivating creatures showed their smooth moves on the final day on a robot catwalk, and were awarded for their special features. We had as many award categories as there were robots, actually even one extra.  You can see each of the robots and awards on the video. As the catwalk ended, the robots engaged in a merry robot fight.

See also:

• Photo album of Rapid Robots Workshop
• Documentation on Niklas' website