Kidz Labs / Balancing Robot

By 4M Industrial Development Limited
Price $15.00
Age 5+

This is a very quick and easy kit to build, with lots of fun awaiting those who do. The resulting robot has no motor yet can do some pretty fancy tricks, not the least of which is to ride a unicycle balanced on a slender string across roughly 10 feet of space. The string must be secured at both ends to objects of your choosing, with one end a bit higher than the other. Among his other talents is the ability to balance on top of a pole nearly twice his height, face down using the tip of his nose or upside down using the antenna atop his head, and in numerous other ways. Part of what enables this is a balancing bar held in his hands with an adjustable weight (made of coins) at either end. Kids learn about center of gravity (including their own), and are encouraged to experiment with balancing the robot in new and different ways, as well as to vary the coin weights and slope of the unicycle string to see how altering these factors effects outcomes.