BB-8 Emotional Companion With Tinkercad and Micro:bit

We have created a BB-8 emotional droid that helps students define their feelings and provides cheerful, droid-inspired advice. This project uses two micro:bit to control a neopixel strip, displaying vibrant light patterns depending on the emotion, and offers advice in the style of the beloved droid BB-8 from Star Wars. Normally, it will be orange, that we have chosen for its association with optimism and energy, reflecting BB-8's spirited and positive personality.

With the cheerful guidance of BB-8, the objective of the activity is to encourage emotional awareness and positivity.

Supplies

micro:bit
Neopixel strip (WS2812 LEDs)
Tinkercad account
micro:bit USB cable
Battery pack for micro:bit
(optional)
Connecting wires
3D printer
Filament for 3D printing

Step 1: Designing BB-8 in Tinkercad

Step 1: Setting up Tinkercad

Create a Tinkercad account:

If you don't already have one, go to the Tinkercad website and sign up for a free account.

Start a new project:

Step 2: Designing the Body of BB-8

Create the main body (sphere):

Select the sphere:
From the right-hand side menu, find and drag a sphere shape onto the workplane.
Resize the sphere:
Adjust the size of the sphere to be a suitable size for BB-8’s body. Use the resize handles to make it around 50mm in diameter.

Add details to the body:

Create circular panels:
Drag a cylinder shape onto the workplane.
Adjust the height to be very thin (about 1-2mm) and resize the diameter to be smaller than the sphere.
Use the “Align” tool to position the cylinder on the surface of the sphere.
Duplicate the cylinder and place multiple circular panels around the sphere to mimic BB-8’s design.
Add other details:
Use additional shapes like half-spheres, rectangles, and other basic shapes to add more detailed features and panels to BB-8’s body.

Step 3: Designing the head of BB-8

Create the head (half-sphere):

Select the half-sphere:
Drag a half-sphere shape onto the workplane.
Resize the half-sphere:
Adjust the size to be proportional to the body. Make it about 25mm in diameter.
Position the head:
Move the half-sphere above the main body sphere and align it so it sits on top of the body.

Add details to the head:

Create the eye lens:
Drag a smaller cylinder onto the workplane.
Resize the diameter to be about 5mm and the height to be 2mm.
Position the cylinder on the half-sphere to represent BB-8’s eye lens.
Add antennae:
Drag thin cylinders or rectangular shapes onto the workplane.
Resize them to be thin and long to represent BB-8’s antennae.
Position the antennae on top of the half-sphere head.

Step 4: Creating space for neopixels and micro:bit

Hollow out the sphere:

Create a duplicate of the sphere used for the body.
Resize the duplicate to be slightly smaller than the original sphere.
Use the “Hole” feature to make the smaller sphere a hollow space.
Position the hollow sphere inside the original sphere and group them together to create a hollow body for BB-8.

Create a compartment for the micro:bit:

Use rectangular shapes to design a compartment inside the hollow sphere that can securely hold the micro:bit.
Ensure the compartment has openings for the micro:bit’s display and buttons to remain accessible.

Create openings for wiring:

Use the cylinder shape to create small holes where wires can pass through.
Position the holes at the bottom of the sphere and where the head meets the body.

Step 5: assembling the droid

Group the body and head:

Select all the parts of the body and head.
Use the “Group” tool to combine them into one cohesive model.

Final adjustments:

Rotate and move the model to ensure all parts are properly aligned and proportionate.
Make any necessary adjustments to the size or position of individual components.

Step 6: Adding color and finishing touches

Apply color:

Use the color tool to apply orange and white colors to BB-8’s body and head.
Select the different parts of BB-8 and color them appropriately to match BB-8’s appearance in Star Wars.