Ferrofluids
SUPER SOLOR RECYCLE-Lets Play With Your RecyclablesTry this!
(1-2 minutes)1. Three different mini solar toys (i.e. calculator,
solar flowers, and one Super Solar Recycle robot) will sit on the
table for participants to view and pick up. The robot is an
important try this. The presenter must point out all three are
working without batteries or a plug. 2. Now pick up the Super Solar
robot and ask the audience the following question, How did I make
my robot work without batteries, a plug, or any other energy
source? How do Recycle Solar Robots Work?Think twice about tossing
those OLD CD-ROMs and pick up that empty water bottle lingering
under the bed. All of these items can create an eco-friendly
toy/robot for children to enjoy. Come on over and watch as I turn
the empty water bottle into a drumming robot.The Robot: Solar
robots need the recycled items around homes to make the robot
complete. There are six robots to play with using a plastic bottle,
aluminum can, or old CD-Roms. The motor takes the electricity
created from the solar panels and creates energy for a moving
robot.Enjoy making one of six solar robots with recycled bottles,
cans, or CDs found at home.
Now turn 3 CD-ROMS into a Race Car! (5 minutes)How to make CD
Racer:
1. CD Racer is the only robot that can be made with the recycled
CDs. BUT; this cool car can pick up speed. Just take the 3 CDs
connect them to the motor/robot and watch him ROLL!2. The solar
robots are already assembled! All you have to do is pick one of the
other robots to make with the plastic bottle or aluminum can. The
16-20 ounce plastic bottle will make Bottle Yacht, Drummer Robot,
or Flying Bird. The clean empty soda can will make Street Roller or
Walking Robot. Whats going on?The POWER: The recylce solar robot
moves by turning sunlight (solar power) into electricity. Light
striking a silicon semiconductor (the black panel on every robot)
causes electrons to flow, creatingelectricity.Solar powergenerating
systems take advantage of this property toconvert
sunlightdirectlyintoelectricalenergy. If no sunlight is available
for solar powered robots, halogen lamps will also create energy for
the robots to move.You can turn 3 CDs into CD Racer!
How are Solar Robots ASSIST?
Walking Robot is turning solar energy into great moves!One of
the ASSIT Center goals is to Design intelligent power management
for battery-freesensing, computation, and wireless communication.
Super Solar Recycle aligns with the ASSIST mission and goals
through developing and harvesting energy to create innovative
battery-free energy for children to enjoy toys and robots.
Learning Objectives
1. Participates will learn how solar energy or halogen lamps
will make robots move and cars roll by converting solar energy into
electric energy. Participants will also be able to create 6
different solar robots with recycled items found around the
house.Materials
The Super Solar Recycle Kit (Solar Panel, Motor, and
Instructions) Recycled plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and CD-ROMs
Solar light (sunlight) or a halogen lamp
A space to watch the robots moveNotes to the presenter
Before doing this activity, please do the following: Follow the
directions in the instructions manual to assemble all of the
robots. Gather and clean water bottles and cans (3 cans and 3
plastic 16-20 ounce bottles) Make sure there is a halogen lamp if
the sun is not producing sufficient light Gather the CD-Roms needed
for the CD racer. One car takes 3 CDs. Please note, the CDs most
likely will not work again once they have rolled around on the
robots. Tips: Make sure all of the recycled items are avaiable to
make the robots. You can only form one robot at a time and if there
is not enough solar light, a halogen lamp can be used.
SAFETY: Please consider the soda can, as a child can get cut
from handling the can.Cleanup: In order to build one of the six
solar robots, students will have to collect water bottles, soda
cans, or CD-ROMs. Please clean and dry all cans/bottles prior to
attaching them to the robots. Once the robots are built, the cans
and bottles do not need to be cleaned again.Related educational
resources
For further research: NCSTATE ASSIST CENTER
http://assist.ncsu.edu/ OWI Robotics http://www.owirobot.com/
Credits and rights
Kimberly Junius, ASSIST Center at North Carolina State
University. This activity was adapted from Super Solar System,
developed by OWI. The original kit is available at
www.owirobot.com
