Make a Paper Walking Robot Dog
30-60 min
Ages 8+
What Will You Make?
Create a gravity-powered quadruped from an index card. For this project, you’ll build a robot that moves without any computers or sensors to guide it. In fact, this version is so basic, it doesn’t even need a motor!
What Will You Learn?
You will learn folding, measuring (or eyeballing measurements), cutting along lines.
Making Your Dog
Introduction
To start, look at the example to get an idea of how your robot dog will look, and then draw your own fold and cut lines. First, measure the length of the card or heavy paper you are using. Divide the length into three, and mark each section on the card. In other words, if your card is 4 inches by 6 inches, make marks along the longer side at 2 inches and 4 inches.
Step 1
To make the front and back leg sections, fold up the ends of the card (Figure A ). Check that the sections are equal by flipping the card over and standing it up on its legs like a table. Unfold.
Step 2
To make the head and tail: mark a narrow strip down the middle of the front and back sections you just made, going from the fold to the edge of the paper (Figure B). (If there are lines on the index card, use them to guide you.)
Step 3
To make the front legs, draw a line on either side of the front end. Repeat on the other end of the card to make the back legs (Figure C ).
Step 4
To make a wide stomach (which helps the dog rock side to side as it walks), cut off the bit that is left between the legs and the edge of the card (Figure D ).
Step 5
Fold the legs up (Figure E ) and then flip the card over.
Step 6
Bend the head and tail up (Figure F ). To help the dog rock side to side and lift its feet to walk, round off the feet like a rocking chair. Draw a curve on each foot, starting at the inside corner and going up a little ways along the side of the card (Figure G ). Cut along the lines. Test that the legs are still even and trim them if they are not.
Step 7
Finish the head by folding down a little at the tip. Finish the tail by curling it around a pen (Figure H ).
Step 8
To get the dog to walk, place it at the top of the ramp. Tilt the ramp until the dog starts to move. You can get it going by tapping on one side of its belly (Figure I).
Troubleshooting Tips
If it doesn’t work, what could be the problem? Look at:
Balance: Are the front and back legs the same length?
Legs: Is the fold connecting them to the body sharp enough to allow them to move?
Feet: Are they curved evenly? • Rocking: Does the dog tilt from side to side as it moves? If not, try adding a little weight by taping a paperclip underneath each side.
Body: Is it stiff enough? If not, make it thicker with tape, or add another layer of paper.
Ramp: Is it tilted too little or too much? Is it too slippery?
What Is Happening Here?
Powered by Gravity
This mechanism is powered by the pull of gravity. This style of motion is known as passive dynamic walking.
Scientists used to think that people and animals relied on their brains to control the way they walked and keep their balance. But it turns out that a lot of that control is taken care of by the legs themselves — an example of a smart body in action! The legs swing back and forth and shift the weight of the body from side to side. Once they get started, the legs keep going forward until the brain tells them to stop. It’s an efficient and stable system, which is why robotics engineers have borrowed it to use in walking robots. Most passive dynamic walkers are bipeds and walk on two legs. When they move, they shift all their weight to one leg, and let the other leg swing forward. Then they shift their weight the other way to allow the other foot to take a step. (Check out the book BOTS! to see how to make a two-legged version.)
However, some robotics labs have tried making passive dynamic walkers with three, four, or even more legs! The extra legs help with balance, but they also make the pattern of walking much more complicated. When a dog walks along, it only picks up one foot at a time. A cheetah or a race horse can trot with two feet always on the ground at the same time, or gallop with just one foot touching down as it speeds by. Trying to get a four-legged robot to move in a realistic way is a big problem scientists are still trying to solve.
One robot dog called Spot, made by Boston Dynamics, has a gait (or pattern of walking) that’s so real, it’s spooky. Spot’s legs bend the same way real dog legs bend. And with its sensors and programming, Spot is good at getting itself back up if it tumbles over on its side. The Walking Robot Dog you will be making, on the other hand, doesn’t even have knees, so its legs don’t bend. But it does move one front foot and then the other in a slow, steady rhythm as it makes its way downhill. It also has a long skinny neck and a small head, like Spot. The head and tail help keep it balanced. Even though it isn’t as advanced as Spot, it’s still pretty good at not falling over.
What Is Next?
Go Beyond
Can you design a two-legged walker that doesn’t need back legs? How will it balance? How will its legs swing back and forth? (Think about different kinds of two-legged walkers from real life, such as birds, or their cousins the dinosaurs.)
Take a look at some early passive dynamic walkers from Cornell University: ruina.tam.cornell.edu/research/topics/robots.
About the Book
Making Simple Robots, 2nd Edition by Kathy Ceceri is based on the idea that anybody can build a robot! That includes kids, educators, parents, and anyone who didn’t make it to engineering school. If you can cut, fold, and tape a piece of paper to make a tube or a box, you can build a no-tech robotic part.
In fact, many of the models in this book are based upon real-life prototypes — working models created in research labs and companies. What’s more, if you can use the apps on your smartphone, you can quickly learn to tell robots what to do using free, online, beginner-level software like MIT’s Scratch and Microsoft MakeCode.
The projects in this book which teach you about electric circuits by making jumping origami frogs with eyes that light up when you get them ready to hop. You’ll practice designing all-terrain robot wheel-legs with free, online Tinkercad software, and you’ll create files ready for 3D printing. You’ll also learn to sew — and code — a cyborg rag doll with a blinking electronic “eye.”
Each project includes step-by-step directions and clear illustrations and photographs. Along the way, you’ll learn about the real research behind the DIY version, find shortcuts for making projects easier when needed, and get suggestions for adding to the challenge as your skill set grows.
Suggested Add-On: Making Simple Robots Starter Pack
This companion starter pack has all the electronics you’ll need and then some for the projects in Making Simple Robots, 2nd Edition, by Kathy Ceceri (book required for projects).
Materials:
- For the Robot:
- Index card, cardstock, or construction paper (get two sheets if you’re using it for the ramp as well); 4 inches by 6 inches is a good size
- Pen, pencil, or marker
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Tape
- Optional: 2 paper clips
- For the Ramp:
- A board or other large flat object, about a foot long
- Something to prop up the ramp, such as a pile of books
- Optional: a covering such as construction paper, rough cardboard, or a rubbery mouse pad to give the ramp a little traction
Maker Camp Project Standards
Based on NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards)
National Core Arts Standards
The National Core Arts Standards are a process that guides educators in providing a unified quality arts education for students in Pre-K through high school. These standards provide goals for Dance, Media Arts, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts with cross-cutting anchors in Creating, Performing, Responding, and Connecting through art. The Anchor Standards include:- Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
- Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
- Refine and complete artistic work.
- Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation.
- Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation.
- Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.
- Perceive and analyze artistic work.
- Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.
- Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.
- Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
- Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.
CCSS (Common Core State Standards)
The Common Core is a set of high-quality academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy (ELA).Measurement & Data
- Grades K-2
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.MD.A.1 Describe measurable attributes of objects, such as length or weight. Describe several measurable attributes of a single object.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.MD.A.1 Order three objects by length; compare the lengths of two objects indirectly by using a third object.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.MD.A.2 Express the length of an object as a whole number of length units, by laying multiple copies of a shorter object (the length unit) end to end; understand that the length measurement of an object is the number of same-size length units that span it with no gaps or overlaps.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.MD.A.1 Measure the length of an object by selecting and using appropriate tools such as rulers, yardsticks, meter sticks, and measuring tapes.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.MD.A.2 Measure the length of an object twice, using length units of different lengths for the two measurements; describe how the two measurements relate to the size of the unit chosen.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.MD.A.3 Estimate lengths using units of inches, feet, centimeters, and meters.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.MD.A.4 Measure to determine how much longer one object is than another, expressing the length difference in terms of a standard length unit.
- Grades 3-5
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.B.3 Draw a scaled picture graph and a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories. Solve one- and two-step "how many more" and "how many less" problems using information presented in scaled bar graphs.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.MD.A.1 Know relative sizes of measurement units within one system of units including km, m, cm; kg, g; lb, oz.; l, ml; hr, min, sec. Within a single system of measurement, express measurements in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.MD.C.5 Recognize angles as geometric shapes that are formed wherever two rays share a common endpoint, and understand concepts of angle measurement.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.MD.A.1 Convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a given measurement system (e.g., convert 5 cm to 0.05 m), and use these conversions in solving multi-step, real world problems.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.MD.C.3 Recognize volume as an attribute of solid figures and understand concepts of volume measurement.
Ratios & Proportional Relationships
- Middle School
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.RP.A.1 Understand the concept of a ratio and use ratio language to describe a ratio relationship between two quantities.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.RP.A.3 Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve real-world and mathematical problems, e.g., by reasoning about tables of equivalent ratios, tape diagrams, double number line diagrams, or equations.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.RP.A.1 Compute unit rates associated with ratios of fractions, including ratios of lengths, areas and other quantities measured in like or different units.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.RP.A.2 Recognize and represent proportional relationships between quantities.
National Core Arts Standards
The National Core Arts Standards are a process that guides educators in providing a unified quality arts education for students in Pre-K through high school. Also see Standards with cross-cutting anchors in Creating, Performing, Responding, and Connecting through art for Visual Arts.NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards)
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are K–12 science content standards.Forces and Interactions
- Grades K-2
- K-PS2-1. Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths or different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object.
- K-PS2-2.Analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended to change the speed or direction of an object with a push or a pull.
- Grades 3-5
- 3-PS2-1. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.
- 3-PS2-2. Make observations and/or measurements of an object’s motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion.
- 3-PS2-3. Ask questions to determine cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other.
- 3-PS2-4. Define a simple design problem that can be solved by applying scientific ideas about magnets.
- Middle School
- MS-PS2-1. Apply Newton’s Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding objects.
- MS-PS2-2. Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.
- MS-PS2-3. Ask questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces.
- MS-PS2-4. Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on the masses of interacting objects.
- MS-PS2-5. Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.
- High School
- HS-PS2-1. Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration.
- HS-PS2-2. Use mathematical representations to support the claim that the total momentum of a system of objects is conserved when there is no net force on the system.
- HS-PS2-3. Apply science and engineering ideas to design, evaluate, and refine a device that minimizes the force on a macroscopic object during a collision.
- HS-PS2-4. Use mathematical representations of Newton’s Law of Gravitation and Coulomb’s Law to describe and predict the gravitational and electrostatic forces between objects.
- HS-PS2-5. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that an electric current can produce a magnetic field and that a changing magnetic field can produce an electric current.
CCSS (Common Core State Standards)
The Common Core is a set of high-quality academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy (ELA).English Language Arts Standards » Science & Technical Subjects
- Middle School
-
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- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.3 Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.4 Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6-8 texts and topics.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.5 Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to an understanding of the topic.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.6 Analyze the author's purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text.
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- High School
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- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the precise details of explanations or descriptions.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.3 Follow precisely a complex multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks, attending to special cases or exceptions defined in the text.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 9-10 texts and topics.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.5 Analyze the structure of the relationships among concepts in a text, including relationships among key terms (e.g., force, friction, reaction force, energy).
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.6 Analyze the author's purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text, defining the question the author seeks to address.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to important distinctions the author makes and to any gaps or inconsistencies in the account.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.3 Follow precisely a complex multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks; analyze the specific results based on explanations in the text.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 11-12 texts and topics.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.5 Analyze how the text structures information or ideas into categories or hierarchies, demonstrating understanding of the information or ideas.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.6 Analyze the author's purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text, identifying important issues that remain unresolved.
ISTE Standards (International Society for Technology in Education)
The ISTE Standards provide the competencies for learning, teaching and leading in the digital age, providing a comprehensive roadmap for the effective use of technology in schools worldwide.1.1 Empowered Learner
- Summary: Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving, and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences.
- 1.1.a Students articulate and set personal learning goals, develop strategies leveraging technology to achieve them and reflect on the learning process itself to improve learning outcomes.
- 1.1.b Students build networks and customize their learning environments in ways that support the learning process.
- 1.1.c Students use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.
- 1.1.d Students understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations, demonstrate the ability to choose, use and troubleshoot current technologies and are able to transfer their knowledge to explore emerging technologies.
1.2 Digital Citizen
- Summary: Students recognize the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of living, learning and working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal and ethical.
- 1.2.a Students cultivate and manage their digital identity and reputation and are aware of the permanence of their actions in the digital world.
- 1.2.b Students engage in positive, safe, legal and ethical behavior when using technology, including social interactions online or when using networked devices.
- 1.2.c Students demonstrate an understanding of and respect for the rights and obligations of using and sharing intellectual property.
- 1.2.d Students manage their personal data to maintain digital privacy and security and are aware of data-collection technology used to track their navigation online.
1.3 Knowledge Constructor
- Summary: Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others.
- 1.3.a Students plan and employ effective research strategies to locate information and other resources for their intellectual or creative pursuits.
- 1.3.b Students evaluate the accuracy, perspective, credibility and relevance of information, media, data or other resources.
- 1.3.c Students curate information from digital resources using a variety of tools and methods to create collections of artifacts that demonstrate meaningful connections or conclusions.
- 1.3.d Students build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, developing ideas and theories and pursuing answers and solutions.
1.4 Innovative Designer
- Summary: Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions.
- 1.4.a Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems.
- 1.4.b Students select and use digital tools to plan and manage a design process that considers design constraints and calculated risks.
- 1.4.c Students develop, test and refine prototypes as part of a cyclical design process.
- 1.4.d Students exhibit a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance and the capacity to work with open-ended problems.
1.5 Computational Thinker
- Summary: Students develop and employ strategies for understanding and solving problems in ways that leverage the power of technological methods to develop and test solutions.
- 1.5.a Students formulate problem definitions suited for technology-assisted methods such as data analysis, abstract models and algorithmic thinking in exploring and finding solutions.
- 1.5.b Students collect data or identify relevant data sets, use digital tools to analyze them, and represent data in various ways to facilitate problem-solving and decision-making.
- 1.5.c Students break problems into component parts, extract key information, and develop descriptive models to understand complex systems or facilitate problem-solving.
- 1.5.d Students understand how automation works and use algorithmic thinking to develop a sequence of steps to create and test automated solutions.
NGSS MS.Engineering Design
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are K–12 science content standards.- MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
- MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
- MS-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.
- MS-ETS1-4. Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.
NGSS HS.Engineering Design
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are K–12 science content standards.- HS-ETS1-1. Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.
- HS-ETS1-2. Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
- HS-ETS1-3. Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
- HS-ETS1-4. Use a computer simulation to model the impact of proposed solutions to a complex real-world problem with numerous criteria and constraints on interactions within and between systems relevant to the problem.
NGSS 3-5.Engineering Design
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are K–12 science content standards.- 3-5-ETS1-1. Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.
- 3-5-ETS1-2. Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
- 3-5-ETS1-3. Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.
