We Love Planetoid Robots- oh yes we do – amazing! They are from Citizen Scientific Workshop and they have a Kickstarter campaign underway to fund the production of 100 Planetoid Robotics kits.
Plantoids are plant-based cyborgs that gravitate toward fresh air, water, and sunlight. The low-cost, reusable kits fuse life science, biology, earth science, and engineering together into a fun easy-to-make project perfect for first-time robot builders of all ages.
“I came up with the concept for Plantoids when I noticed a lot of educational robotics kits taught very similar lessons,”
DIY robotics expert and Citizen Scientific Workshop president David Ultis says.
“Plus, none of those kits really expanded beyond an artificial emulation of logic or intelligence. I wanted to incorporate something real and alive into a robot in order to affect its motivations and behaviors. Now the plant organism’s life is elevated by abilities it never had before by being incorporated into a robot. It can hunt for light, avoid obstacles, find better air quality, and even ask for a drink of water.”
The campaign has 17 days to go. It has attracted 35 backers who’ve pledged $2,115 — around 42 percent of its $5,000 goal.
He says after the campaign, Plantoids will be made available in small batches at www.citizenscientificworkshop.com after Kickstarter batches are produced.
He plans to release at least three types of Plantoids. The first two designs — a tractor-wheel kit and a treads kit — will ship with the first Kickstarter batch, and a third design still in development will
sport “awesome robot legs.”
To date, Citizen Scientific Workshop has built around 25 Planetoid Robotics kits, including six that were deployed at a youth workshop the company staged this summer for the Idaho Botanical Garden. The
effort was funded by a grant from the Idaho STEM Action Center.
CSW also has released about a dozen kits to educators and early beta kit purchasers. Ultis himself has built at least six iterations of prototypes.
Visit www.kickstarter.com/projects/djults/practical-plantoid-robotics-easy-to-build-organic for more details about Plantoid Robotics kits.
Citizen Scientific Workshop is a pioneering STEAM technologies development company. It seeks to make technology accessible to everyone by creating unique and new products ranging from robots and 3D printing to art, animation, and games. CSW facilitates workshops and educational outreach in partnership with local libraries and community education.
IT’S ALIVE!!! — Citizen Scientific Workshop has a Kickstarter campaign underway to fund the production of 100 Plantoid Robotics kits. Plantoids are plant-based cyborgs that gravitate toward fresh air, water, and sunlight. The low-cost, reusable kits fuse life science, biology, earth science, and engineering together into a fun, easy-to-make project perfect for first-time robot builders of all ages. Visit www.kickstarter.com/projects/djults/practical-plantoid-robotics-easy-to-build-organic for more details.
Read about more Tech stuff we love: fadmagazine.com/tech-we-love
