The Maker Club kits currently being crowdfunded on Indiegogo include everything needed to construct simple 3D printable robots that can be controlled with an easy to use smartphone app. The kits are optimised to guide students new to the concepts of coding and electronics through the build process.
The Brighton, UK based Maker Club wants to create fun and accessible robotics, coding and 3D printing educational products that can inspire the next generation of makers. The startup has created a unique educational platform that combines robotics and CAD design tutorials, a smartphone app and a community of robot makers that can share their creations and projects with each other. They will even have a marketplace where users are able sell their robotic designs and innovations.
The Indiegogo campaign includes four robotic kits that backers can purchase, and each kit includes all the mechanical and electronic parts needed to create a cool robot. The parts for the robot bodies are 3D printable, so they can be completely customized and adapted to future projects. If backers of the campaign don’t have a 3D printer then the parts can be included in your contribution and Maker Club will send them to you with your kit.
The Grabber kit requires a $62 contribution for a simple grabbing arm robot that includes a pen attachment, and can be controlled with the MakerConnect slider mechanism or using the phones accelerometer. The $71 Quadmonster is a four-legged walking robot project that includes eight independent servos and a camera mount so it can be turned into a spy-robot. For $93 you can pick up Carduino, an RC car kit that includes a streamlined cover that users are encouraged to customize. And then there is Insectoid, the massive eight-legged beast that will really test your robot making limits. The Insectoid kit needs a $109 contribution and includes 18 servos, a camera mount and each leg can be controlled independently.
Here is the Maker Club crowdfunding video:
All of the robots can be controlled using the MakerConnect app that connects it to your smartphone using Bluetooth LE. The app can also be used as a basic microcontroller for your own Arduino based projects. MakerConnect includes five basic controllers, a simple on/off control, a color changer to adjust any LED lights on your robot, basic motion control sliders, a video game pad and a stop/start control for timers. Maker Club does plan to develop more controllers using the funds raised with their Indiegogo campaign.
As the demands for STEM education increases, many educators are starting to look for unconventional learning methods that can make the occasionally complex tasks of coding and electronics fun to learn. 3D printing and robotics are two exciting technologies that are becoming easier to access and more affordable than ever, making them ideal tools for schools.
Maker Club is even working with a group of educators to make their robotics projects compatible with the UK national curriculum and they hope to have their first batches of kits in secondary schools by late next year.
