Isaac’s First Robot—The “Punching Robotâ€
(Original date, approximately 1998.)
Hey, He Was Only 3
At three years old, my son Isaac might have been the youngest person ever to construct a Lego MindStorms project. Although he calls it a robot, it is more of a contraption than a real robot … but I cannot help but be impressed.
Isaac built this entirely without help—he even connected the RCX to the motor properly on his own. The design is entirely his; I never built anything similar.
Isaac grins as he contemplates his world conquest.
This contraption, which he calls a “punching robot,†uses an assortment of Lego axles that rest within a 40t gear, that is directly mounted on the motor. Attached to several of the outer axles are the shock absorber pieces. These shock absorber pieces extend outward from the central gear when the motor is activated, and will repeatedly punch whatever the robot is placed near.
A close-up of the punching mechanism.