Build a robot arm with cardboard

Design and produce a 2D card model of the physical elements of a robot arm as an example.

This curriculum-linked activity teaches the foundation of a wide variety of real-world industrial applications, ranging from loading machines to assembling cars, welding parts together and spray-painting products. Robot arms are also used in applications such as bomb disposal and repairing spacecraft as they orbit the earth.

All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download and are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.

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Tools/resources required
For each participating team:

• 1 A4 cardboard or MDF baseboard
• 2 A4 pieces of thick card
• 1 pair of scissors/craft knife
• 5 brass fasteners/brads/split pins
• 5 thumb tacks
• 3 paper clips
• 2 m length of string or fishing line
• 2 rubber bands
• 2 m length of sticky tape or masking tape

The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.