Stellar Orbit: The Dynamic Space Lamp (Arduino C edition) is an interactive mechatronics project designed for children aged 11+. It combines mechanical assembly and electronics programming, providing an engaging way to explore fundamental engineering concepts. At its core, the project features a rotating planet, an orbiting space station moving in the opposite direction, and a spaceship circling the station. The mechanical part introduces pupils to rotational motion, gear mechanisms, and bearings. They will manually assemble the system, gaining hands-on experience with how different components work together to create smooth, controlled movement.
The electronic section deepens their understanding by incorporating circuit design, wiring, and coding. Pupils will manually draw the connection diagram under teacher guidance before wiring the system themselves. Using the Arduino IDE and Arduino C programming language, they will program an ESP32 microcontroller to control the speed and direction of the motor, as well as the RGB lighting effects.
The project includes an interactive interface with three buttons that allow users to switch between different operational modes. A DC motor drives the motion, while a WS2812B RGB light ring adds a dynamic visual effect. Powered by a 9V battery, the lamp is a compact yet sophisticated model of orbital mechanics, making STEM learning exciting and immersive.
The Camp Dates and Time
5 days, from Apr 07’25 until Apr 11’25
Start at 12.30 until 15.40
Age: from 11 years old (to 17)
Location
Richmond and Hillcroft Adult Community College.
Parkshot, Richmond TW9 2RE
Learning Outcomes:
- Understand rotational motion, gear mechanisms, and bearing applications.
- Develop hands-on mechanical assembly skills.
- Learn to read and draw basic electronic circuit diagrams.
- Gain experience in wiring electronic components.
- Program an ESP32 microcontroller using Arduino C programming language.
- Control motor speed and direction through coding.
- Configure and program an RGB LED ring (WS2812B) for visual effects.
- Build an interactive interface using a three-button keypad.
- Explore the basics of power management with a 9V battery.
- Enhance problem-solving and critical thinking through hands-on experimentation.
There are some requirements exist for the course:
1. You must be confident in using a computer, keyboard and mouse. At the good user level.
2. Know how we save files on a computer, what a file and folders are, etc.
3. Be able to switch between windows in the operating system. Use the keys’ shortcuts.
4. No previous experience with 3D modeling is required.
5. No previous experience in Robotics is required.
6. You want to program robots and are not afraid to struggle with the difficulties of learning them.
7. Minimum previous experience with text-based programming is required. Ideally, you are able to make a program that performs basic maths operations with numbers. The programming language itself is not important.