Resources

We're always looking for interesting ways to show off our kits, and recently we got hold of a Go Pro to take some buggies eye footage (more on that soon). Whilst we were all set up we thought we'd show you how easy it is to make a time-lapse video of a 3D print on the Robox RBX-01 Printer using a Go Pro.

This fun learning resource has been put together to provide teachers with an all in one design and technology challenge that you can set for your students over the course of a term or a year. The resource includes a number of different design and technology aspects; electronics, mechanical assembly, 2D and 3D design, using a laser cutter, using a 3D printer and coding and testing. There are also alternative production methods highlighted in the individual resources.

Martin Woolley explains how he wrote the Robot Buggy code using the Microsoft PXT Editor for the BBC micro:bit. Includes a link to the completed code. Martin not only wrote the code that we use for the remote controlled buggies, he also designed the Bluetooth profile for the BBC micro:bit and wrote and released the micro:bit Blue App, which we used to control the buggys.

The last part of our physical design challenge was to design a flag for a capture the flag style game. As with most of the design challenges that this project presented, we had some ideas and discarded the difficult and impractical until we were left with a simple but effective solution.

When designing the 3D printed add-ons we had two main aims; that they maintained our Robot Wars theme and that they could be printed easily. Our additional goals were to create two team colour schemes and that each buggy had it's own personality.

We looked at a few different ways of achieving our Robot Wars inspired buggy but quickly settled on keeping the buggy completely intact and cutting a top plate from a perspex sheet. We wanted it to be functional, aesthetically pleasing and also easy to produce. We had six buggies to design and build and only a few days to get them done.

Bluetooth is the technology that makes the remote control aspect of this project possible, fortunately, the BBC micro:bit comes with Bluetooth functionality as standard. Martin Woolley explains how to pair your Android device with the BBC micro:bit and how to use is micro:bit Blue App to control the Robot Buggy.

The line following buggy for the BBC micro:bit is a great kit for students to build as it combines several elements of design and technology; electronics, mechanical assembly and coding and it is this buggy that the Robot Buggies are built upon. The kit has relatively few parts and is simple to build, making it a suitable option as a classroom activity.

Whilst many of our customers enjoy a well earned holiday during August, we're busy putting the final touches to some exciting new kits, and bringing you a couple of additions to our materials section.

Geoff Hampson, one of our company directors, was charged with designing and building something iconic from the epic '80s. There are many things that spring to mind when you think about the '80s but if you were at school during this period, as I was, then you undoubtedly have a lot of memories of the Rubix cube craze. Challenge accepted!

MP Michelle Donelan has secured the support of almost 90 MP's for a proposed change to EBacc that would allow schools to class design and technology as a science and offer it as a choice to students.

Kevin and Tim were at NTU yesterday to see the fantastic projects that the students had created using products from our Electro Fashion range. Four ideas were presented on the day that were all excellent and all very different from each other. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and inspiring visit.

Robox Update Automaker To V2.01.02 . As CEL Robox have moved deeper into dual material printing, recent updates to their Automaker software have been geared towards facilitating this. There have been a number of multi-material related new features and a few days ago they updated Automaker to V2.01.02. This added another new feature for removing the gap between the support material and your part, when using a dual material head.

As Perspex is one of the most popular materials for Design and Technology we thought it would be interesting to share some facts that many people might not know. We've picked 8 things that we think many people won't know about this highly versatile and widely used design material. How many did you know?

I never expected to be thinking about work last weekend when I was at the East Midlands Flower Show, but when I saw the fantastic creations of Burned by Design and went over to have a closer look. It turned out that the owner, Alex, is a Design and Technology teacher.

The summer holidays are almost upon us and D&T Department stocks may be beginning to dwindle, so why not replenish D&T stocks before the summer to ensure the new school year gets off to a flying start.

In this tutorial we are going to highlight how easy it is to code the BBC micro:bit as an instrument tuner. We will focus mainly on making a Guitar tuner but we will also provide download links for several different types of tuner.

This week and next, armed with BBC micro:bits and accessories, Kitronik are breaking free from the office and attending fun education based events that are aimed at showing young people and educators that there is a world of opportunity out there for people with the right skills.

On Wednesday the 8th of June our very own Tim Goodman went to Nottingham Trent University with a small group of Design and Technology Teachers for a day designed to help them drive ideas forward. The course was hosted by Nottingham Trent University's Kerry Truman and began with a briefing on all the different opportunities there at NTU for such learning.

In this tutorial we are going to look at how to control a servo using the BBC micro:bit via an Edge Connector Breakout Board for the BBC micro:bit. It’s super simple to set up and requires very few parts.