Build it

PRINT PLAN

Five print batches. Each one comes with something to learn while it prints, and unlocks the next build steps.

Start after the parts arrive and are measured. Small white parts first, the turret and wand second, the base third. About 10 hours 45 minutes of printing and 335 g of PLA in all. Order is by batch; the file names keep their plate numbers.

Printer settings for every batch

Printer
Flashforge Adventurer 5M, 0.4 mm nozzle, textured PEI plate
Software
Open the .3mf in Flash Studio (or OrcaSlicer). Every setting below is already saved in it. Slice, then send it to the printer.
Material
Generic PLA. Any color, except batch 1, which must be white.
Layers
0.2 mm, 3 walls, 15% gyroid infill
Brim
5 mm, except none on the pivot pin and the cable clips
Supports
Off. Nothing needs them.

Times and grams are the slicer's estimates. Batch 2 has slower walls saved in its file for the thin head frame.

Before the first print

  1. 1Unbox everything and check it against the shopping list.
  2. 2Measure the Xia mi board, a servo, the wand battery pack, the arm switch, the power bank, the in-line switch, and the charge port with calipers.The print files use numbers from datasheets and photos. If a part is off by more than half a millimeter, the files get fixed before printing.
  3. 3Sort the M2 screws by length into cups.
1

Batch 1: The white pod and cable clipsWHITE PLA

About 35 minutes 路 11 g 路 plate file 4

Print plate for batch 1: Sensor pod front (the white cup) and 11 cable clips
On the plate
Sensor pod front (the white cup) and 11 cable clips

Short and small, so it is a good first test of the printer. It has to be white: white plastic lets light spread through it, so the whole cup glows when the laser dot lands anywhere on its face.

Plate file (.3mf)See the parts in 3D
Learn while it prints

Why white?

  1. 1Hold a flashlight behind a white sheet of paper, then a black one.Which one lets light through? White scatters light. Black soaks it up and turns it into a tiny bit of heat.
  2. 2Write down what you saw. That is your first science note.

When it is done

  1. 1Peel the cup off the bed and hold it up to a lamp.The face should glow evenly. If you can see holes, a grown-up prints it again a little slower.
  2. 2Snap a cable clip onto a piece of fishing line.It should slide along the line without falling off.
  3. 3Put the cup and clips in a bag labeled MOSQUITO.
Ready for the next batch when
The cup glows and the clips hold the line.
2

Batch 2: Turret head, turntable, and wand

About 3.5 hours 路 77 g 路 plate file 3

Print plate for batch 2: Turntable and tilt yoke, camera and laser head, pivot pin, wand handle, sensor pod back
On the plate
Turntable and tilt yoke, camera and laser head, pivot pin, wand handle, sensor pod back

The moving parts of the turret, plus the wand and the back of the pod. After this batch the mosquito and wand can be built.

Plate file (.3mf)See the parts in 3D
Learn while it prints

Meet the micro:bit

  1. 1Open makecode.microbit.org and make the micro:bit show a heart when you press button A.Code is a list of steps the computer follows exactly.
  2. 2Add "show number light level" inside a forever loop. Cover the LEDs with your hand.The number goes down in the dark. The light sensor in the mosquito works the same way.

When it is done

  1. 1Pop the parts off and peel away the brim.
  2. 2Push the pivot pin through the left side of the yoke.It should turn without wobbling.
  3. 3Press the pod back into the white cup.It should fit snug.
  4. 4Set the micro:bit on the wand handle.The holes in the micro:bit edge line up with the round bosses.
Ready for the next batch when
The pin turns and the pod closes. The mosquito and wand can be built now.

Now you can build

Step 1: Check the partsInstructions coming soonStep 2: Make the mosquitoInstructions coming soonStep 3: Make the wandInstructions coming soon
3

Batch 3: Base shell

About 3 hours 15 minutes 路 131 g 路 plate file 1

Print plate for batch 3: The base shell, printed upside down
On the plate
The base shell, printed upside down

The biggest part. It prints upside down so the deck the turntable sits on comes out flat.

Plate file (.3mf)See the parts in 3D
Learn while it prints

Teach a camera

  1. 1Plug the HuskyLens into a USB power bank. Pick Object Tracking on its screen.HuskyLens can run on USB power by itself, no board needed.
  2. 2Point it at a toy and press the learn button. Move the toy around.A box follows the toy. The camera learned what it looks like from the pictures it took.

When it is done

  1. 1Let the bed cool, then lift the shell off and peel away the brim.
  2. 2Check the charge port and the in-line switch line up with their holes in the right wall.The power bank sits inside now, so there is no side bay. Its cradle is on the floor plate in batch 4.
  3. 3Check the arm switch and speaker fit their holes in the back wall.
Ready for the next batch when
The charge port and switch fit the right wall.
4

Batch 4: Floor plate and one backdrop foot

About 1 hour 55 minutes 路 72 g 路 plate file 2

Print plate for batch 4: Floor plate and one backdrop foot
On the plate
Floor plate and one backdrop foot

The floor closes up the base, so after this batch the whole turret can be built.

Plate file (.3mf)See the parts in 3D
Learn while it prints

Make a servo move

  1. 1Plug a servo into the board and code it: servo to 0, pause, servo to 180.A servo turns to the exact angle you ask for, then holds it.
  2. 2Try 90. Where does it point?Pan means turning left and right. Tilt means turning up and down.

When it is done

  1. 1Screw the Xia mi board onto the floor posts.If the holes do not line up, the floor gets reprinted with the measured spacing.
  2. 2Check the power bank drops into its cradle on the right half, ports facing the front.The strap goes through the two slots in the floor.
  3. 3Screw the floor into the shell from underneath.
Learn while it prints

How a power bank works

  1. 1Plug the power bank into a USB-C phone charger and watch its four lights.Each light is about a quarter full. When all four stay on, it is charged. Inside the turret the lights are hidden, so charge it before every session.
  2. 2Why does a power bank make the speed test fairer than AA batteries?Batteries slowly lose voltage as they drain, so servos slow down. The bank gives a steady 5 volts, so the servos move at the same speed on run 1 and run 30.
Ready for the next batch when
The board and power bank fit the floor, and the floor fits the shell.

Now you can build

Step 4: Build the baseInstructions coming soonStep 5: Build the pan and tilt headInstructions coming soonStep 6: Teach the cameraInstructions coming soonStep 8: Code the turretInstructions coming soonStep 9: Add the soundsInstructions coming soon
5

Batch 5: Pendulum pivot, backdrop clip, second foot

About 1.5 hours 路 44 g 路 plate file 5

Print plate for batch 5: Pendulum pivot, backdrop clip, second backdrop foot
On the plate
Pendulum pivot, backdrop clip, second backdrop foot

The test stand. The pivot has notches for 10, 20, and 30 degrees so every swing starts from the same place.

Plate file (.3mf)See the parts in 3D
Learn while it prints

Swing a pendulum

  1. 1Tie a washer to a string. Pull it back a little and let go. Then pull it back a lot.Which one moves faster at the bottom? A bigger pull-back means more speed.
  2. 2Count swings for 10 seconds both times.Surprise: the number is almost the same. Galileo noticed this more than 400 years ago.

When it is done

  1. 1Push both feet onto the bottom of the black foam board.
  2. 2Push the clip onto the top edge and slide the dowel in.The dowel should stick straight out toward where the turret will sit.
  3. 3Clamp the pivot on the end of the dowel and loop the line over the peg.
Ready for the next batch when
All 12 printed parts are done. The MS-2000 is ready for its first full test.

Now you can build

Step 7: Set up the backdrop and pendulumInstructions coming soonStep 10: First full testInstructions coming soon