Seven swans a-swimming

Create seven swimming swans with littlebits and recycled materials!

YOU WILL NEED

1 x Flap Top Box
1 x littlebit motor wheel
1 x littlebit servo shaft
1 x littlebit pressure sensor
1 x littlebit slide dimmer
1 x littlebit DC motor
2 x littlebit servo
2 x 9V Alkaline Batteries
2 x power Bit

Looking for parts to make this?

STEP 1

Mark out the placement of the wheel and servo shaft on the flap of your box

STEP 2

Powering up littleBit’s DC motor

(a) Attach power Bit to a 9V alkaline battery

(b) Snap a pressure sensor to power Bit. This pressure sensor responds to how much pressure you put on it. As such, we can use this to vary the amount of signal passing through and eventually control the speed of the DC motor

(c) Snap littleBits DC motor to pressure sensor

(d) Set DC motors to “cw” mode to make it spin in the clockwise direction

STEP 3

Powering up littleBits servo

(a) Attach power Bit to a 9V alkaline battery

(b) Snap a slide dimmer to powerBit

(c) Snap a servo to slide dimmer

(d) Set servo to be in ‘swing’ mode, to make it move back and forth on its own

Materials

1 x 9V alkaline battery
1 x power Bit
1 x littleBit slide dimmer
1 x littleBit servo

STEP 4

Putting it all together

(a) Attach wheel to motor’s axel 

(b) Attach shaft to servo’s axel

STEP 5

Decorate the box with 7 ‘swans’!
ps: ensure that the pressure sensor is facing outwards!

Made this activity? Good Job! Now spread the word. Share a photo of your creation on social media with #letsgethacking #Sevenswansa-swimming