Thames & Kosmos SpringBots: 3-in-1 Spring-Powered Machines

Suggested Age: 6 Years and Up
CPSC Choking Hazard Warnings: Choking_hazard_small_parts
Educational Focus: Engineering
• 3-in-1 engineering kit: Assemble three cool robots, wind them up, and watch them go--no batteries required!.
• The models are powered by a mainspring, the main device found in old-fashioned clocks.
• Models include a race car that drives up to 60 feet, a robot that walks up to 20 inches, and a countdown timer that counts down up to 6 minutes.
• Learn about potential and kinetic energy and how gears and springs function in different mechanical devices.
• Includes a 64-page, full-color manual with clear language, simple step-by-step illustrated instructions, and scientific explanations.
The secret behind these fascinating machines is a power source called a mainspring — a spiral-shaped spring that stores up energy when wound up by hand, and then converts that stored energy back into motion when it discharges. The mainspring inside the robot turns gears which enable it to march forward on two legs. The race car zooms across the floor as its mainspring uncoils and turns its wheels. The countdown timer uses a more complex system of springs, gears, ratchets, and linkages to slowly tick down the seconds as it discharges - for a countdown of up to six minutes. As you assemble these models one at a time from over 130 pieces, you will learn about the inner workings of spring-powered devices like wind-up toys and ticking mechanical clocks.