ACTIVITY 4: Nature Bots

Nature Bots are sculptural motorized creations made of natural materials and simple electronic components that move and dance in interesting ways. The Nature Bots activity provides an opportunity for students to deepen their investigations of balance, movement, and sculpture. Joining the smooth, aluminum bodies of motors and batteries with the textured, irregular, and brittle natural materials foraged in local parks and walkways provides advanced experiences with iterative design, testing, and redesign.

Nature Bots integrates art, technology, and the natural sciences. It can spur conversations about human-nature relationships, help students notice nature in places they don’t expect, and connect the building and designing process to observations and discoveries about the world around us.