Ozobot’s #SummerofSTEAM is in full swing, and we’re finding inspiration everywhere. The latest creation we’re geeking out over? Our friends at Genesis did a bot trash collector project that combined three of our favorite things: Evo, coding, and caring for the environment.
Genesis is a non-profit dedicated to sparking interest in STEAM education and giving underserved students opportunities to apply their skills to real life challenges. Currently, they’ve got an art-meets-tech lab set up inside Los Angeles’ Marciano Art Foundation, where we caught up with them and a group of especially creative kids.
Genesis’ Watson Hartsoe and Lauren Rodrigues presented their students with a problem: a simulated city, with a serious trash problem. “At the core of everything we do,” says Watson, “is this idea that we need to recycle, reuse, and improve the way we use resources.” They prompted students to use art and technology to tackle the challenge, so students designed and built trash collecting robots.
First, they broke out into teams, then designed a prototype for their trash bot. Then, using colorful craft supplies and Evo as a base, they built their trash bot and brought it to life!
Some students used pipe cleaners to give Evo arms. As Evo moved, the arms would scoop up any waste in its path. Another group created a dozer-inspired bot extension out of construction paper. Each design was unique.
Next, students had to maneuver their bots to collect trash (tiny, crumpled up pieces of paper and foil) and deposit it in a designated recycling center (a square space drawn on paper). They could use the Evo app’s Drive controls or Color Codes to do so. Some students even figured out how to code their trash bots with OzoBlockly!
We were so impressed by their project, we wanted to issue a challenge to our creator community. Ozobot HQ is located in the sandy city of Redondo Beach, where the sunsets are beautiful but waste from human visitors totally bums us out. Can you code your own Bot Beach Cleanup, inspired by these Genesis creators?
Creative Prompt: #BuiltWithOzoBlockly Bot Beach Cleanup
You’ll need:
- 1 Evo robot (or use Bit!)
- Paper for drawing your prototype and recycling center
- Craft supplies for building your beach bot: markers, glue, tape, pipe cleaners, straws, popsicle sticks, colored paper, rhinestones, etc (Note: grab a grown-up if you’re going to use a glue gun)
- 1 DIY skin (glue attachments onto the skin, not directly onto your bot!)
- A computer or tablet for using OzoBlockly
Whatever you create, show it off. Share your creation with us @ozobot and mention the #OzoSquad!
