Getting started in building

[naseeam]

I want to get 11-year old started in building projects. Maybe we can start by building a Go Cart. Any suggestions? How can we start with simple projects and move to more advanced. Does it make senese to start out with wood projects and move to mechanical, electromechanical, and electronic projects.
Please provide any information that will help us teach ourseleves to build and design.

Many Thanks.

 

[jimmythefool]

It might be easier to start with a robot?? You can use small motors, and not have to worry about high current drives etc. Use a lot less materials too

 

[naseeam]

Any idea how 11-year old can start building and learning Robots. How can we get started?

 

[jimmythefool]

If you google 'line following robots' or have a search around the web, you can see what you think is within the abilities and facilities available to the child.
You could make a very simple robot with 2 low voltage gearmotors, and a pair of wired switches that control each one individually (like a track vehicle steers). Then maybe build on from that to some basic electronic control. Robot building is very popular, and there is no shortage of information that would be useful

 

[Sceadwian]

An 11 year old will learn mostly from mistakes. Make sure they're safe mistakes, and make sure even when they 'fail' at what they're building they learn something important. I've been building PC's since I was 9 years old. I've only been building stable ones since I was 15 =) To start I would actually encourage choosing projects which may on the whole fail but various parts may succeed. A working part can be a good basis for the starting of a new project which has another part that succeeds etc.. etc.. until an entire device from concept to finality works as intended. Engineer around that kind of standpoint and you'll likely do okay.

 

[rjvh]

start with flashing LEDs or a simple alarm circuit with brake and make swiches on doors windows

than go furter with different interfaces as tempature sensitive components and light sensitive compenents

than timers and so on

easy to make houshold solutions and learn a lot of the basics

Robert-Jan

 

[Boomslang]

Also make sure that building these things is what the child is interested in (I'm sure this is what dad is interested in ). No use forcing him to do it if he/she is more interested in painting/cooking or whatever else you can think of.