Test and refine

Students test their robotic arm through weight and dexterity tests.

Building a robotic arm

Students design, build and test a robotic arm from components and motors.

Workshop overview

Year level 9-10
Prior knowledge

No prior knowledge required. Not recommended for students who have done Mechatronics: Build and Code Rescue Arms

Capacity 16-32 students. If you want to bring more students, email highschool.workshops@qut.edu.au
When School days: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday
Duration Half day only
Where QUT Gardens Point, Science and Engineering Centre
Cost Free (late cancellation fees apply. See terms and conditions).

Workshop details

Half-day workshop (engineering design): Using the engineering principles of mechatronics, students construct a robot arm from a range of components and motors. Based upon their selected components, students mathematically determine the physical limits of a prosthetic arm. Using this information they test their hypothesis by remote controlling the arm to perform a variety of tasks, testing the capability of their robotic claw.

This half-day workshop closely mirrors the content covered in the first half of the Mechatronics: Build and Code Rescue Arms workshop. If your students have already completed the Build and Code workshop, there's no need to book this one, as they've already covered the same material.

Topics covered in this workshop:

  • coding
  • engineering design
  • mathematics.

Book this workshop

We’re now fully booked in terms 1 and 2, 2025. Bookings for workshops in terms 3 and 4 will be opening in term 2.

Curriculum links

Year 9

Science

  • Advances in scientific understanding often rely on developments in technology and technological advances are often linked to scientific discoveries (ACSHE158)
  • Select and use appropriate equipment, including digital technologies, to collect and record data systematically and accurately (ACSIS166)

Design and Technologies

  • Investigate and make judgments on how the characteristics and properties of materials are combined with force, motion and energy to create engineered solutions (ACTDEK0430)
  • Investigate and make judgments on how the characteristics and properties of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment can be combined to create designed solutions (ACTDEK0460)
  • Investigate and make judgments, within a range of technologies specialisations, on how technologies can be combined to create designed solutions (ACTDEK047)

Year 10

Science

  • Energy conservation in a system can be explained by describing energy transfers and transformations (ACSSU190)
  • The motion of objects can be described and predicted using the laws of physics (ACSSU229)

Design and Technologies

  • Investigate and make judgments on how the characteristics and properties of materials are combined with force, motion and energy to create engineered solutions (ACTDEK0430)
  • Investigate and make judgments on how the characteristics and properties of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment can be combined to create designed solutions (ACTDEK046)
  • Investigate and make judgments, within a range of technologies specialisations, on how technologies can be combined to create designed solutions (ACTDEK047)

Contact us

If you have any questions, comments or feedback about the QUT High School Student Connections program, we'd love to hear from you.

3138 1801