LabRats Build

The challenge was to find creative ways of using an ultrasonic sonar, programmed using an Arduino bord. We made little-brother detectors, early flood warning systems, allergy detectors, possum traps, cars that stop automatically, built a calculator from scratch.. we did great!

What have we learnt?

Introduction to coding, circuitry, and not giving up!

In this engineering and confectionery mayhem, the challenge was to launch the furthest marshmallows and land those fluffy clouds of sugar into cups of hot chocolate.

What have we learnt?

Projectile motion has two vectors, energy transfer, and just how competitive we can get!

The challenge was to transport a can of soft drink fastest across 5m and travel the longest distance without being pushed and without using batteries. Leon M's epic vehicle powered by a swinging pendulum only stopped because it couldn't turn corners!

What have we learnt?

Energy transformation and how to cope with race day jitters!

This was our very first engineering challenge where we came up with clever ways of using solar-powered battery chargers. Innovative ideas included chargers sewn onto caps, bags, post boxes etc etc

What have we learnt?

Basic circuitry, how solar panels work, and designing solutions

With monies raised by our lovely parents at the sausage sizzle, we built Arduino monitoring machines to solve problems like protecting turtles, drying clothes in winter, living on Mars, and self-watering potted plants. The challenge was to give our little machines big dreams. 

What have we learnt?

Fun and frustration are two sides of the same coin.

Inspired by our visit to AirHUB, we took on the challenge of flying paper planes the furthest, fold into reality the most fanciful flights, and even tried to land them on paper airstrips.

What have we learnt?

Good design and better luck win the day!

At the Jock Marshall Reserve (Monash University), we studied the way different bodies of water differ in water quality by comparing the water chemistry and types of organisms living in them. We got inspired and thanks to Landcare, we compared water bodies in Victoria by testing bodies of water near our homes.  

This was a gross but important project. We investigated how much rubbish we generate at home by weighing our landfill rubbish and surveyed the types of rubbish we throw out. What an eye opener! 

We first surveyed our families to learn about what we had inherited from our parents and grandparents. Then we learned about DNA and extracted DNA from fruits. No pets and siblings were harmed in this process. Promise. 

We wanted to find out whether the kind of bacteria that live in our belly buttons varied depending on whether we had innies or outies, our diets, our ages etc 

This project is not to be revisited. That's what we promise ourselves.