Grab & Go

Research robotic/mechanical arms in books or online. Compare the different arms, making sure to talk about what robotic arms might be used for, and what limitations they may have (what they may or may not be able to do to complete a task).

Using some of the materials from the list, build an arm that can lift a paper cup from 1 foot away.

Here are some rules to keep in mind when designing:

• Only one person can operate the arm.
• The mechanical arm is the only thing that can touch the cup.
• The cup must be set back down and the arm removed when done.
• The cup cannot be damaged in the process of picking it up.

Be sure to plan and design before you start to build. If you get stuck, try thinking about some of the components of the arms you researched and build a similar version.

Keep trying until your robotic arm is able to pick up the paper cup from 1 foot away. If it does not work at first, try not to get frustrated. Engineering is all about trying again and again.

For a challenge try adding weight to the cup and see if the arm still works. Brainstorm other things that you can try picking up (stuffed animals, popcorn, pencils). How might you modify your design to address these new challenges?