1. Creative Inventions and Robotics
Laboratory
Creative Inventions and Robotics
Set up your Lab
Welcome to the Build-It-Yourself Laboratory.
I’m Seth, chief computer programmer at Build-It-Yourself.
I’m John, chief inventor at Build-It-Yourself.

2. Set up your Lab
The Problem: To be a proper Build-It-Yourself crew member, you must have
A state-of-the-art laboratory:
A premium quality junk collection.
An interactive smart pencil.
A proper shingle for your door.
An official brainstorm hat.
An assistant to greet visitors.
A lab book to document your inventions.
Who would like to read the The Problem?
Who would like to read The Mission?
Your mission is to make visitors say, "WOW, there must be some hot shot builders here!

3. tools and materials you must memorize the:
Set up your Lab
Before you can use use
tools and materials you
must memorize the:
Tool Rules
Choose and Use Tricks
We need to add 2 more pages to your lab books before we can use the tools and materials.

4. To start, click an image from the menu below.
Set up your Lab
Now its time to build!
To start, click an image from the menu below.
Premium Quality Junk
Smart Pencils
Brainstorm Hats
Shingle
Door Greeter Assistant
Lab Book

5. Set up your Lab
Premium Quality Junk

6. Set up your Lab
To invent like Thomas Edison, you’ll need loads of Premium Quality Junk!
                              
Premium Quality Junk can be anything that is colorful, does not weigh much and has an unusual or useful shape.

7. Set up your Lab
Collect good stuff from around the house, supermarket, parent's office, or hardware store.
Sort your junk collection in heavy, plastic, see-through freezer bags.
One person's trash is another person's treasure!
Junk from around the house
Junk from your parents' office
Junk from the supermarket
Junk from the hardware store
Return to Main Menu

8. Set up your Lab
Smart Pencils

9. Set up your Lab Hard Head Characters
Any builder worth his or her salt should have a "Smart Pencil." Build a critter, or decorative sign or sculpture.  See if you can make it move when you write.
Follow the link below to start building your critter:
Hard Head Characters

10. Set up your Lab
Try wrapping a pipe cleaner around a pencil like a spring. Slip the pipe cleaner spring off the pencil.  Cut a piece of 1"x2" of Foamie (foam rubber).  Lay a strip of hot glue along one 1" edge.  Press the bottom 1" of the pipe cleaner spring on the hot glue strip.  After the glue dries, wrap the Foamie around the bottom part of the spring.  Hot glue the Foamie so it wraps tightly around the spring.

11. Set up your Lab
Now you have a removable cap so you can mount your invention on several pencils.
Glue your smart pencil critter or decoration to the other end of the pipe cleaner spring and watch it move as you write!
Return to Main Menu

12. Set up your Lab
Brainstorm Hats

13. How important is it to look good?
Set up your Lab
Brainstorming:
How important is it to look good?
If you are afraid to look silly, will this inhibit your ability to learn?
What can we do to make our lab and its builders look way cool?
Invite a discussion on the value of presenting ideas clearly, concisely and compellingly.
What does ‘compelling’ mean?
Is the best music, game, toy … always the one that is the most popular?
Liu Huan
MIT Class of 2010

14. Set up your Lab
Have you ever eaten cold noodles?  Much better when they're hot!
These hats are designed to keep your brains hot and squeeze out good ideas! You can start with a regular plain hat or you can look for a colander, a bicycle helmet, a metal lamp shade or a plastic bowl.

15. Set up your Lab
Then you need to go to your Premium Quality Junk collection and look for some colorful, light and funny shaped objects. Decorate your Brainstorm Hat with some of your best junk.
Add a sign or two to let people know who you are and what you're thinking.

16. Set up your Lab
You may find it useful to glue some sponge or foam rubber pieces inside the hat to make it fit better and to make it more comfortable.
If your hat falls off easily, try gluing 2 pipe cleaners to the sides of your hat and then twist them under your chin.
Return to Main Menu

17. Set up your Lab
Shingle

18. Set up your Lab
If you want others to know you're open for business, you better hang a shingle on your door. Here are some elaborate, colorful signs...
Some move, some make sounds, and all look way cool.
Now its your turn to make a sign. Remember to be creative and look in your junk box for ideas.
Return to Main Menu

19. Door Greeter Assistant
Set up your Lab
Door Greeter Assistant

20. The History of Door Greeters
Discovery
The History of Door Greeters
Gargoyles:
Gargoyles are a race of very powerful winged beings who were the defenders of castles. By day, they are immobilized in stone as statues on the castle parapets.
When the sun sets, the stone turns to flesh and they take to their task of defending their home.
Your mission, if you decide to accept it, is ….

21. The History of Door Greeters
Discovery
The History of Door Greeters
Buddha:
The Awakened One is a being who has become fully enlightened, has permanently overcome anger, greed, and ignorance, and has achieved complete liberation from suffering, better known as Nirvana.
The Buddha at the North Temple Pagoda in Suzhou does not have a big stomach because of his appetite, but because he's swallowing all the evil of the world (or so they say).
Your mission, if you decide to accept it, is ….

22. The History of Door Greeters
Discovery
The History of Door Greeters
Avatar:
Ganesh, the Hindu God
The chubby, gentle, wise, elephant-headed Ganesh is one of Hinduisms most popular deities. He is the patron of letters and of learning.
Ganesh is honored at the start of a journey or business venture.
Your mission, if you decide to accept it, is ….

23. The History of Door Greeters
Discovery
The History of Door Greeters
The Sphinx:
The body of a lion with the head of a king or god, the sphinx symbolizes strength and wisdom.
A great sphinx sits outside the Egyptian pyramids and says,
“Don’t mess with me!”
Your mission, if you decide to accept it, is ….

24. The History of Door Greeters
Discovery
The History of Door Greeters
Butler:
Nehemiah was the butler (or cup-bearer) to King Artaxerxes in 446BC.
Butler is a position of great responsibility and honor in royal households.
Your mission, if you decide to accept it, is ….

25. The History of Door Greeters
Discovery
The History of Door Greeters
Bouncer:
A big palooka who keeps the riff raff out.
Your mission, if you decide to accept it, is ….

26. The door greeter will rise as the door opens and fall as it closes.
Set up your Lab
Let’s start by building a strong cardboard arm from which we will hang our door greeter.
The door greeter will rise as the door opens and fall as it closes.
Cut two 3”x8” pieces of chip board and then cut to the length of the coffee stirrer sticks.

27. Set up your Lab
We’ll strengthen the cardboard by taping wooden coffee stirrer sticks to the cardboard.

28. Set up your Lab
Tape the two pieces together. The tape should act like a hinge so you can fold the pieces in the next step.
Punch 2 holes through which you will thread the string that makes your critter go up and down.

29. Use one of the small 1.5”x3” pieces you cut off in the 1st step.
Set up your Lab
Use one of the small 1.5”x3” pieces you cut off in the 1st step.
Tape it to the two legs to make a triangle. Triangles make strong structures!

30. Now you need to make a critter. Make it as light as possible.
Set up your Lab
Now you need to make a critter. Make it as light as possible.
Perhaps a cuckoo bird made from foam rubber, foamies, sponge and pipe cleaners.
Some ideas are posted here.

31. Cut a 6 foot length of string or thread.
Set up your Lab
You’ll need 2 push pins to attach the cardboard arm to the wood frame surrounding the door.
Bend a paper clip to form an ‘S’ shape. This will allow you to quickly hook different critters to greet visitors.
Cut a 6 foot length of string or thread.

32. Tape one end of the string to the edge of the door.
Set up your Lab
Tape one end of the string to the edge of the door.
Thread the string through the punched holes in the cardboard arm.
Hook up your critter.

33. When you open the door, your assistant will greet visitors.
Set up your Lab
When you open the door, your assistant will greet visitors.
You could make the critter hold a sign or dangle some bells.
Return to Main Menu

34. Set up your Lab
Lab Book

35. Power Point Lab Book Template
Set up your Lab
Lab books are what separate the inventors from the wanna-be’s.
Lab books should be used to keep track of all the lessons and tricks you learn, document your design, and of course look way cool!
You can download your very own Power Point lab book too!
Follow the link below to get started:
Power Point Lab Book Template

36. Write a story, poem or song about your laboratory in your lab book.
Set up your Lab
Write a story, poem or song about your laboratory in your lab book.
Record a video of your team presenting your project.
Take pictures of your inventions.
Return to Main Menu