Mechanisms

Flower

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Flower

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Flower

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This tutorial will show you how to make a flower that blooms and lights up using the Hummingbird Robotics Kit! This robot uses 1 servo/position motor to turn string attached to a wheel that will bloom the petals.

We recommend that you build the flower with a disposable coffee cup and the full-sized position servo, but this robot can also be made using any small cup that you have available. It can also be made using the Micro Servos that come with the Hummingbird Base Kit.

Build Time: 90-120 min (depending on skill level and design choice)

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Hummingbird Robotics Kit Hardware

  • Hummingbird Controller (Bit Controller pictured. The Duo Controller will also work)
  • Battery Pack or AC Plug
  • 2 tri-color LEDs
  • 2 single color LEDs
  • 1 position servo with its bag of accessories
  • Plastic brick adapter
  • Terminal tool

Suggested Craft Supplies

    • Stiffened felt or cardboard for petals
    • 2-3 straws
    • String or yarn
    • 2 pipe cleaners
    • 1 pencil
    • 1 paper cup
    • Small piece of cardboard
    • Masking tape
    • Ruler
    • Marker
    • Scissors
    • Blade
    • Cutting mat
    • Glue gun and hot glue
    • Small Phillips head screwdriver
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Cut 4-6 rectangles that are approximately 2.5 cm by 12 cm.

These will become the petals of the flower. Trim the edges of the rectangles to make them into petals.

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Cut straws into 2 cm pieces. You will need 4 straw pieces for each petal.

Use hot glue to attach 4 straw pieces to the back of each petal.

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Cut 4-6 pieces of string that are 50 cm long.

Run a string up and back through the straw pieces on each of the petals. Then set all the petals aside.

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Trace around the servo on the cup. Cut around this outline, then cut a small x on the opposite side of the cup near the bottom.

Place the position servo in the hole in the cup and put its cable through the x. Glue the position servo in place.

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Use the top of the cup to trace a circle on the small piece of cardboard.

Cut out the circle, and then cut a small x in the center of it. Hot glue the cardboard circle to the top of the cup.

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Cut both pipe cleaners in half. Twist a piece of pipe cleaner around each of the LEDs. Tape the LEDs around the pencil.

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Hot glue the petals to the masking tape. Make sure that the ends of the strings are at the bottom of each petal.

Push the pencil through the x in the cardboard circle. Glue the flower stem in place. Make sure you can pull on all of the strings of the petals to bend them.

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Pull both tails of each string through the plastic brick adapter. Tape them in place to hold them temporarily.

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From the bag of servo accessories, find the servo horn and a small black screw. Put the horn on the servo and rotate it counterclockwise as far as it will go.

Place the plastic brick adapter on the servo horn and use the screw to secure it.

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Tie a knot in the petals strings so that  each string is tight, but not so tight that the petal starts to bend.

Turn the plastic brick adapter to see the flower bloom. Adjust any strings if necessary.

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Plug your components into the Hummingbird:

  • Servo Port 1: Position servo
  • Tri-Color LED Port 1: Tri-Color LED 1
  • Tri-Color LED Port 2: Tri-Color LED 2
  • Single Color LED Port 1: Single Color LED 1
  • Single Color LED Port 2: Single Color LED 2
BirdBlox MakeCode Snap!

Now that you have built your flower, you are ready to program it! Lessons are available for these three block-based languages.

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