Self eSTEAM Challenge ’22 – FAQ

the robot with the most creative look:

Your robot impresses with its appearance. Feel free to use additional material and help your robot become more beautiful. Show us what your robot can become. There are no limits to your creativity.

• the biggest robot

Your robot convinces with its size. How can you pimp the robot to make it taller and/or wider? Remember to include the plate. Feel free to add something to the plate, build on top of it, or use it elsewhere. If your giant robot still makes it through the parkour, you get extra points.

• the robot with the most original story

Here is your creativity needed again. Tell us your story about the robot. Who can describe the adventures of the robot in a few sentences? Tell us what your robot experiences and take us into your phantasy world. You can either send us a text or a short video. 

• the most futuristic looking robot

For this we take a look into the future. What will robots look like in a few years? Show us your creative and artistic ideas on how you imagine the future to look like and/or convince us with its functions that we might encounter in the future.

• the most colorful robot

How many different colors can you integrate into the robot? Decorate your robot with as many colorful materials as possible and/or let it shine in different colors. The more the better!

• the technically most sophisticated robot

This is for the tinkerers among you. You can use even more technology to work on the robot. Do you have ideas how you can improve that the robot can navigate better but still independently through the parkour? Then show us!

• the robot with the most surprising additional function

If your robot can do more than just navigate through the parkour, then show it to us! No matter if the additional function has something to do with crafting or with coding, the more extraordinary your idea is the better.

• the robot with the coolest 3D printer

Here you can show off your 3D design and 3D printer skills: No matter how many parts, no matter if it’s to improve the driving or to give the robot a particularly beautiful or practical outer shell: everything is allowed, as long as you can add more parts to the already existing 3D foot.

• the fastest robot – untuned

For this category we invite you to the Maker Faire on June 25th & 26th to let your robot compete in a race against time. How can you make the robot faster? So perfect the bending of the feelers, make sure all the components hold perfectly, that the wheels are perfectly aligned,… So finetuning is the goal here, otherwise for this category you can only use the elements from the robotics kit.

• the fastest robot – all other means allowed

For this category we invite you to the Maker Faire on June 25 & 26 to let your robot compete in a race against time. How can you make the robot faster? Now that you’ve optimized all the components, how can you make your robot even faster? Get more power out of the motor? Additional hardware to make it turn better around the obstacles?

• the robot with the most impressive coded program

This is something for the programmers among you. How can you improve the robot by programming it? The robot may be able to navigate better through the parkour and/or have new abilities. Remember that the robot should still be able to navigate the parkour on its own.

• the smartest robot

What makes a robot intelligent? Is it its appearance that makes it look smarter? Or is it its ability to solve problems? We are very curious about your creative or technical solutions to this question.

• special category

We don’t want to limit your creativity. If you build a robot that doesn’t quite follow the rules, don’t worry. Please show us your robot anyway, because thanks to this category you still have a chance to win one of the trophies.

• most voted and liked robot

A selection of your photos we receive until the 27.05.2022, we will post on our social media channels. The photo with the most likes, will get a trophy. 

• You need enthusiasm and motivation to try it out and to tinker. The materials, you can order them for free via this form.

• In order to have a chance to win one of the trophies, you have to send us a photo with a small description to office@makeit.lu

• The final gathering is on the 25&26.6.22 in the frame of the Maker Faire in Rosport. It is not mandatory to come, yet we want to encourage you to show your robot to the public and – eventually – get your trophy on a the Self eSTEAM stage.

• You can send us a request via this form

• After you received an email from us, you can pick up the Self eSTEAM kits every Thursday between 14-17 h at our Makerspace in Esch/Alzette (22 Rue Henri Koch; 4354 Esch-sur-Alzette).

• At the moment (mid March), we are out of stock. For the ones who already ordered a robot kit before. You just have to wait a little longer. Soon you will get your robot kit as well! 

• If Esch/Alzette is too far away, check our stops with the MakerBuzz where we will distribute the kits as well. We publish the list and dates of these stops on our website and via our social media accounts.

• Can happen… and it should not block you. You replace it yourself with another piece you find at home or at a store nearby. Most parts used for the robot are pretty ordinary.

• If you can’t find the missing piece(s), do not hesitate to contact us. We will invite you to pass by the Makerspace in Esch/Alzette or at the MakerBuzz Self eSTEAM Tour (see below).

• We recommend that the children work in small groups. 2 to 4 children have proven to be a good number. This way the children can help each other fixing the cables and develop an even more creative idea together.

• If you order for your own children, encourage your children to work together or consider the option that your children work together with their friends. Especially if your kids have different ages, each of them can collaborate with peer friends.

• Even if we have already numerous reports from kids who managed successfully to build their robot, yes, some kids might not succeed at once.

• Still, we encourage you, as a parent or carer, not to start “taking over” the craftsmanship. Most of the times, it is important to give your kid time and space to really let them try on their own. If you feel the need to assist, try to limit yourself to occasional encouragement. If it does not work immediately, try to see what they DID manage already and congratulate them for the steps that they have mastered.

• If you really need to assist and you are lost yourself, no worries. Come to see us in Esch or at the “MakerBuzz Self eSTEAM Tour”. With your kid(s) and their kit. For a quick boost.

• Don’t blame your kid, don’t blame yourself. Give it a few days. No stress, give it another try later.

• And if at the end you don’t see it happening: Please don’t toss the hardware! Maybe there is another kid that you know that would like to pick up the challenge. Or bring the kit back to us so that we can give it a second life even if by now a few things might be missing.

• Yes, of course. You can do a joint pick-up for other families and groups as well. We will ask you to tell us the email address of the other person who ordered a kit.

• Our stock of 1600 Self eSTEAM kits is almost taken.

• You can still pre-order your kit(s) by using our form. Please wait until you receive an email from us notifying you about the delivery options for the new batch of kits.

• Please send us a separate email indicating where you are located and how many kits you ordered. We try to find an individual solution for you, to either bring the robot kits to you directly to you or to plan our MakerBuzz Self eSTEAM tour accordingly.

• Of course you are welcome to pick up the kits yourself in Esch/Alzette 🙂

• 2.4.2022 13.00-15.00 h in Ettelbrück @Lycée Technique d’ Ettelbruck (71 Av. Lucien Salentiny, 9080 Ettelbruck)

• 9.4.2022 13.00 – 15.00 h in Dudelange @LuxCon (Centre Culturel Régional opderschmelz – 1a Rue du Centenaire, 3475 Dudelange)

• 16.4.2022 14.00 – 16.00 h in Rosport @Musée Henri Tudor (9 Rue Henri Tudor, 6582 Rosport-Mompach)

• 23.4.2022 13.00 – 15.00 h in Luxembourg City @FIRST LEGO League (Lycée Aline-Mayrisch – 38 Bd Pierre Dupong, 1430 Luxembourg)

• No problem, you can always contact us via email or phone between 14-17 h. Moreover, you can come to the Makerspace in Esch/Alzette or you drop by at one of the stops of the MakerBuzz, where we will try to help you as well.

• Do not forget that we released a video tutorial. We have reports from participants enjoying building their robot only with the help of that tutorial. Without educator, teacher or parent 🙂

• Remember there are no limits to your creativity! You set you own goals. You decide if your robot should be technically more sophisticated or very creative. All your ideas are welcome! 
• For this you can use as much additional material as you like

• The only things you should keep in mind: 

  • The robot needs to able to drive autonomously and can to drive through a parkour and past obstacles. legs of your kitchen table are for instance perfect training grounds.
    

  • If needed, you can also replace some of the original material. Only the base plate and the two big wheels must still be those of the start kit.

• Yes, you can. However, keep in mind that the robot should drive autonomously (without remote control).

• The initial Self eSTEAM kit does not contain a processor that allows any programming. You will have to choose yourself, which coding platform you think you can use and how you pimp the “senses” of your robot.

• Great job! You can keep the robot, we are just asking you to send us a photo with a short description of your robot via email office@makeit.lu. Only if you send us a photo, you will have chances to win a trophy.

• We will also be looking forward to welcome you with your finished robot at the Self eSTEAM final event in Rosport (25./26.6.2022).

• The final of the Self eSTEAM Challenge is on the 25&26.6.2022 in Rosport in the frame of the Maker Faire. At this finale, we will mount a small parkour, in which you can test your robot. Until then you can build and continuously pimp your robot.

• If you want to win a trophy, please send a photo and a description before the 15.06.2022 to office@makeit.lu