How To Build A Robot For A Science Project

Many parents stress when they find out that their child is a participant in a school science fair. However, science fair projects do not have to be stressful and worrisome. Consider finding a project that steals your child's interest and encourages him or her to think as well. Creating a robot for a science project can add excitement and creativity to the assignment.

Step 1

Collect materials from around your home that you can recycle for the project. Look for cardboard boxes, toilet tissue and paper towel rolls, straws, pieces of old toys and anything else you may discover.

Step 2

Build the robot using your items. Begin with your largest items for the body. Cereal and other boxes are a good start for creating this piece of the robot. Hunt for long, rectangular objects to create arms and legs. You can glue or staple these onto the body piece. If you want the arms to move, try using the bendable sections of straws for elbows. Search for an object to serve as the head. This may be a round or square piece.

Step 3

Add embellishments such as aluminum foil, stickers and sequins to the body pieces to complete the visual aspect of your robot. Draw eyes and other facial features on the robot head with a marker or paint.

Step 4

Add other mechanisms to the robot to give it special features. Use a small remote control car or truck as the robot's feet to make the creature mobile. Simply attach the robot to the toy. It looks best if you cover up as much of the vehicle as possible and still allow it to move. Use an open-ended piece, such as a paper roll or open box, to sit over the toy. Place a small recorder inside of body box to add a voice to your robot. Before adding the player, record the phrases you want the robot to say.

Step 5

Experiment using different types of materials and display your results with your science project.