Adding arts and crafts elements within the robotics field isn’t something teachers do all that often. And, the Hummingbird Duo Base Kit isn’t an everyday kind of teaching tool. Covering engineering, arts, programming, and robotics, Hummingbird is a true STEAM experience as it combines technology and robotics with artistic creativity. Students use the kit’s components, including LEDs, motors, sensors, servos, and craft materials to build a functional robot that they can program in various languages. At the heart of the robot, is the Hummingbird Duo Controller, a board that students plug all the components into and make their robot move.
Although it’s designed for students aged 13 and up, students aged eight and up can use Hummingbird with adult supervision. The variety of programming languages available make Hummingbird truly versatile. Graphical environments include the CREATE Lab Visual Programmer (8+), Scratch (10+), Snap! (10+), BirdBlox (8+), and Ardublock (12+). Programming Languages include the Arduino Programming Language (13+), Python (13+), Processing (14+), and Java (16+).
The Hummingbird works in Windows, Mac, and Chrome OS and some Linux and iOS support is available as well. Kids can even use it with a Raspberry Pi computer! Combined with easy-to-use software like Scratch and Snap!, Hummingbird introduces students to robotics and engineering with familiar construction materials. When combined with more complex software, like Python and Java, Hummingbird is also able to challenge older students.
The Premium Kit contains everything students need to create one large robot. Among the pieces in the kit are a power supply, USB cable, terminal tool, four snap-in stand-offs, single-color LEDs in red, yellow, and green, two tri-color LEDs, four hobby servos, two servo extension cables, two gear motors, two wheel adapters, two plastic block adapters, two vibration motors, and light, temperature, distance, sound, and rotary sensors. Each kit is recommended for two or three students, allowing kids to split the real-world jobs of construction, wiring, and programming.
There are also Hummingbird kits in different sizes, which we have on our store as well, including the Controller Kit, Base Kit, Small Classroom Kit, Medium Classroom Kit, and Large Classroom Kit. The Controller Kit is the smallest and designed for those who are upgrading an older Hummingbird kit or want to build and attach their own parts. The Base Kit is the next size up and has enough parts to build a small robot. The largest kits are the Classroom Kits, which are designed for a small class or group of 8-12 students, a medium-sized group of 16-24, and a large-sized group of 24-36.
With a plethora of learning and teaching resources online, Hummingbird doesn’t leave teachers or students struggling to get started. On their site, there are a number of helpful tutorials, connections to standards, projects, assessments, and guides for every software available to use with the Hummingbird. Its versatility is also a huge factor in us endorsing it for use in schools as it can be used in arts, science, history, and engineering classes all the way from third to 12th grade to inspire creativity and computational thinking while students get experience with both crafting and programming.
I was able to play around with the components for a little bit, plugging the various LEDs and sensors into the controller. The Getting Started guide that was included in the kit provided some valuable guidance on how and where to attach the components. It is important to note that following the instructions is key when wiring since it is definitely possible to damage the controller or the electronics if the connections are made incorrectly.
One big question I had while experimenting with the kit was whether these pieces were reusable. Reusability is a high priority for educators who are investing in products that will last. I came to the conclusion that these kits are definitely reusable, but require work to dismantle the robots and clean the components of glue.
The Hummingbird kits are perfect for stepping away from out-of-the-box robots and inspiring students to bring their own robots to life! To purchase Hummingbird for your makerspace, classroom, or home, click below to visit the Eduporium store. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more, check out other cool robotics tools in our store, and you might as well like us on Facebook, too!