Our kids got Hexbug Nanos recently. These little robot bugs are surprisingly fun to play with, and you can make awesome, easy, Hexbug drawbots!
To make these three simple hexbug drawbots you only need a Hexbug and a handful of household items, and they are lots of fun!
A ‘drawbot’ is a robot that draws. It sounds complicated to make, but it is really very easy.
You can make all three of these drawbots with a small vibrating motor, but they are not always easy to find so Hexbugs are a simple option, and they are also loads of fun to play with on their own.
You can buy Hexbug Nanos from Amazon (affiliate link) but if you are in Australia (like we are) they are not quite as easy to find. We had luck ordering them from Fishpond and from Ebay.
The vibrating Hexbugs are what makes the drawbots movie, so now that you have them, let’s build a drawing robot!
Pen Tripod Drawbot
The first drawbot we made is probably the easiest. A simple tripod of markers with a hexbug attached.
To make a pen tripod drawbot you’ll need:
- 3 markers
- A rubber band
- Some plasticine or blue tak
- A hexbug
To build the tripod drawbot:
Rubber band the three markers together, then make them into the tripod shape by adding a lump of plasticine in the middle of them. Attached the Hexbug securely with another lump of plasticine, turn it on and watch it draw!
Double Pen Drawbot
This drawbot takes a little tweaking to get it right, but once you do it runs around and makes all kinds of cool patterns.
To make a double pen drawbot you’ll need:
- 2 markers
- 2 rubber bands
- Some plasticine or blue tak
- A hexbug
To build the double pen drawbot:
Rubber band two markers together at the top. Place the markers at the back of the Hexbug with the tips touching the paper, and place second rubber band around the Hexbug and the markers to hold them together. Use the lump of plasticine to stabilize the markers and Hexbug where they connect.
You’ll need to make sure the markers are are both at the right level for the Hexbug, and play around with the plasticine until the drawbot stays upright as it runs around the page drawing.
Cup Drawbot
This drawbot is nice and stable, but make sure you use a light plastic cup so it can still move freely.
To make a cup drawbot you’ll need:
- 3 markers
- 3 rubber bands
- A plastic cup
- A hexbug
To build the cup drawbot:
Turn the cup upside down and place a rubber band around the top and bottom of the cup. Slip the markers under the rubber bands, equal distances apart so they form ‘legs’ for the drawbot to balance on. Use the third elastic band to attach the drawbot to the cup. Turn it on and watch it go!
We made a fun video to show you the drawbots in action…
Have you made a drawbot?
We’d love to see a photo of your Hexbug drawbots if you make one! Feel free to share on my facebook page or tag @picklebums on instagram so we can check out your cool drawing robots!
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