Books on robotics or electronics?

Post Reply New Topic

Does anyone know of any books or projects that would be suitable for an 8-year-old boy who has a special interest in robots and electronics? He is on what his teacher insists is an average reading level for his age (I don't know what that means... When I was his age I was reading Stephen King, so I have no idea what "average is...). I would love to find him some stuff to help him along on this interest but I don't know of anything...

My son liked stuff like this at that age

http://www.computergear.com/tin-can-rob ... 4AodazcAAA

He also has a average reading level, but is very smart with visual spatial tasks and building. I had to help him a bit.

Depending on your own experience, there are also many websites on making your own hexbugs

like this
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to- ... -na-156603

LEGO Technic Maybe?

This is a book i have and really like.

Each page features a small inset of one of 16 creatures, along with an abundance of related facts. But the real focus is on the animal's robot twin-and here Kelly and his cohorts pull out all the stops. Tongues firmly in cheek, they draw cutaway views to show each creature's "innards," and explain, from an engineering angle, the function of each part. The rhino robot, for example, has "solid casing to protect the computer (very thick skull protecting the brain)," and "dual food processors (stomachs)." The chameleon sports "protective sleeves for visual receptors (eyelids)" and "flat video screens" that "show camouflage patterns (skin cells called chromatophores lying beneath skin scales).

Your post also made me remember a computer game called The Incredible Machine.

Thanks so much! Will look into all of those.

the Incredible Machine was great!

It reminded me that my son (around 10 and up) has loved all the "sandbox" games, open worlds with loads of stuff to build with.

I had just posted on another discussion... you could try egfi k12 org... it is a STEM (science technology engineering math) website for kids in all grades... it is hard to navigate though... if you go to for teachers and lesson plans you can search through for something that might interest your son.... the read the magazine part is also great-- no need to buy the magazine... or for just cool reading with links to other online info click on what's new and then a subject area... may be a little hard to navigate for your purpose but the info there is well worth the effort... it has some really cool stuff that is just being invented now and what real world problems scientists are working on right now as well as some easy experiments to help kids think about some of these same problems....