Robots and Physical Computing

How a drinks can, a small motor, and a cheap programmable controller can open a world of making, tinkering, and genuine engineering thinking — for kids and adults alike. Eggbot  There is something quietly radical about the Junkbot idea. It started not with a lesson plan or a product brief, but with a question: what can you actually make with the stuff lying around? Over nearly a decade of exploration, educator and maker Scott Turner refined a simple concept — a vibrating robot built from a drinks can, a small motor, and a handful of pens — into something that touches on environmental science, engineering, and computing all at once. This post is for the makers who like to build first and ask questions later, for parents who want to spark something in a curious kid on a weekend, and for educators looking to point people toward genuinely interesting projects. We are going to look at how you build one, and then think about where the idea can go next. Why junk? The word “junk” i...

Artificial Intelligence often feels like "magic" happening inside a powerful computer. But at its core, a neural network is just a series of mathematical decisions. In my previous posts, we looked at how to simulate these decisions in Python. Today, we are taking that "brain" out of the computer and building it in the real world using three BBC micro:bits . In this project, each micro:bit acts as a single neuron . By wiring them together, we create a physical network capable of logic and decision-making. The Math: How a Neuron "Thinks" Every neuron in our network follows a simple linear formula to decide whether or not to "fire" (send a signal): Figure 1 - the maths If the result Net  >=0  the neuron fires (Output = 1). If it’s less than 0, it stays at Output = 0. Step 1: The Logic Gate "Cheat Sheet" Before we flash the code, we need to decide what we want our neurons to do. By changing the weights and bias , we can turn a micro:bit...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere—recommending videos, recognising faces, and even helping cars drive themselves. But what actually powers these systems? At the heart of many AI systems is something called a neural network . And here’s the exciting part: you don’t need a supercomputer to explore one. 👉 In this challenge, you’ll build a working neural network using micro:bits —and see how AI works from the inside. 🔍 What Is a Neural Network? A neural network is a system made of connected “neurons” that pass information to each other. It’s usually organised into layers: Input layer → receives data Hidden layer → processes information Output layer → produces a result One important detail: the input layer doesn’t actually process anything —it just passes signals forward. If you want a deeper explanation, this post breaks it down clearly: 👉 https://robotsandphysicalcomputing.blogspot.com/2021/02/explaining-tinkercad-microbit-neural.html ⚡ Make It Physical with micro:bits Inst...

From Motion to Meaning: Detect your nose in Scratch 3 When I first wrote about Scratch and Webcams back in 2019, the excitement was centred on the "New Frontier" of Scratch 3.0. We were exploring how to bring back the classic video sensing features—making cats jump or bubbles burst when we waved our hands. At the time, that was the peak of "Magic" in the classroom: the physical world interacting with the digital one. Fast forward to today, and the landscape for STEM educators and makers has shifted. We are no longer satisfied with the computer merely knowing that something moved; we want the computer to know what is moving  We have moved from simple motion detection to Artificial Intelligence and Computer Vision. If you want to re-energize your STEM lab or maker space, it’s time to move beyond the basic Video Sensing blocks and dive into the Face Sensing extension, So here is an example project playing with htese ideas. The Project: The Nose-Tracking Security ...

Web AR Without the Faff: A Maker and Educator's Guide to AR.js Studio Augmented Reality used to mean expensive apps, locked-down platforms, and a steep learning curve that put most teachers and makers off before they'd even started. That's changed. With A-Frame , AR.js , and the no-code AR.js Studio , you can build a working web-based AR experience in about the same time it takes to make a cup of tea — and share it with nothing more than a URL. No app to install. No app store. Just a link. What Is Web AR, and Why Should You Care? AR.js Studio is an open-source platform for building augmented reality experiences that deploy straight to the web — meaning your audience won't need to download anything extra, and you don't need any coding knowledge to build them. Ar-js-org That matters enormously in education and maker spaces. The barrier isn't usually enthusiasm — it's the first five minutes of setup. Web AR sidesteps that entirely. The sweet spot for begi...