Thames and Kosmos Robotics, Jumperbot

Build an energetic bouncing robot that uses an electric motor and a spring-loaded mechanism to jump forward in a continuous motion. Watch the robot crouch down, compress its coil spring and store up energy. Then see how it instantly extends its legs and releases the stored energy all at once, launching itself upward and forward. Experiment with the metal coil spring to discover how the robot's jumping mechanism works. See if the robot can jump over objects in an obstacle course you design for it. Learn about elasticity, potential and kinetic energy, the spring constant, cams and linkages. Build six other functional models using the same mechanical components - the spring, cams and motor - to perform other tasks and demonstrate physical science principles firsthand. Construct a car that moves forward on spiral-shaped wheels. Build a crab that moves sideways, a kicking machine that uses the spring-loaded mechanism to propel an object away and a grappler claw that grabs onto things. Assemble a fun amusement park ride that spins around using the electric motor. Learn about the physics of force, mass and weight by making and experimenting with a spring scale. The full-color, 24-page instruction manual provides step-by-step illustrated assembly instructions.