Motorized Tin Can Robot Kit

Product Description

Transform a used soda pop can into a bug-eyed robot with the 4M Tin Can Robot kit. The 4M Tin Can Robot teaches the value of recycling by repurposing a used can into a fun and functional robot. No special tools or knowledge required; the kit contains detailed instructions and all the necessary parts. Just add a used soda pop can and let the fun begin. Use the kit to create a silly robot or a motorized monster, or a combination of the two. Requires one AA batteries (not included). Recommended for ages 8 years and up.

Features

• The 4M Tin Can Robot teaches the value of recycling by repurposing a used can into a fun and functional robot.
• No special tools or knowledge required; the kit contains detailed instructions and all the necessary parts.
• Just add a used soda pop can and let the fun begin. (Tin Can not included)
• Use the kit to create a silly robot or a motorized monster, or a combination of the two.
• Requires one AA batteries (not included). Recommended for ages 8 years and up. Works well and long with Polaroid Batteries.

Top Reviews

Fun activity with your child
by Amazon Customer (4 out of 5 stars)
December 10, 2017

Loved doing this project with my daughter. My 9 year old needed my help to do. We purchased this so that we could do this as part of the activity for the Girl Scouts robotics badge. It's a great kit and fits under the budget. Few downsides I see are the instructions were not so clear and the tiny screws were difficult to handle.
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Fun and Cute
by BooTeak (5 out of 5 stars)
January 14, 2017

I wasn't sure about this, but it ended up being perfect for a 9 year-old. It was easy to put together - I should say the level of challenge was appropriate. It is a cute finished product. Know that the straws for arms are longer than pictured, but you can cut 'em with scissors.

If you've read this far, please mark "helpful" thanks!
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NOT WORTH IT!!
by Gus (1 out of 5 stars)
February 17, 2017

This toy is marketed to 8 year olds but there's NO WAY an 8 year old could put it together. The screws are SO SO TINY that it was nearly impossible for myself to get them in the correct spots. It also requires a tiny screwdriver that we had to purchase just to put it together-about the size of an eyeglass screwdrivers for fixing eyeglasses. The arms are flimsy and wouldn't stay on and the motor wasn't strong enough to move it at all. Yes, we used new batteries. The instructions are a joke...I had to reread them several times before I could figure out what was going on. My son was very disappointed that after everything, he basically couldn't assemble the whole thing alone and then it didn't even work.
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Kid loved it
by heather (5 out of 5 stars)
November 26, 2016

My kid (he's 8 now) loved it last year when he got this as a Christmas present. It's 13 bucks; if you're wanting something more extravagant, you won't get it for 13 bucks. But, this thing is neat and it moves and my boy felt successful in building it and it didn't cause us a lot of frustration and intense time to build.
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This was exactly what I was looking for - a learning experience - at a great price! Very happy
by Kathmre (5 out of 5 stars)
October 10, 2016

I was able to assemble the robot in about 20 minutes, with the help of this video.
4M Green Science Tin Can Robot Assembling Instruction made by JanzonStudios
[...]

I bought the kit as an enrichment project for my 4 yr old grandson, after we visited a robotics exhibition.

The video kept him engaged in the assembly and we were able to assemble it without using the written instructions.

He loves it and it held up through some very excited play this evening.

I'm not expecting it to hold up over time, the goal was simply to experience creating a robot from misc. parts and then operating it.

There are much more expensive robots on the market if you're looking for something with complex programming and durability.

This was exactly what I was looking for - a learning experience - at a great price!

Very happy.
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Fun toy - bad assembly
by Kathy Sabol (3 out of 5 stars)
March 12, 2017

While this is a cool toy, assembly is a bit of a problem. It was definitely not something my 8 year old grandson could put together on his own. It has many small screws and it's hard for little kids to get them in the right places and lined up properly. Also, the instructions are not written for a third grader. Parts of it were already assembled out of order, so it looks like I got one that was returned by a previous buyer that gave up. That said, all the parts were there and unbroken.

I assembled it without help from my grandson. The screws that attach the battery case to the body were too short, so any pressure during assembly or operation and it falls off. After many mishaps with the battery case, I've decided I'm going to glue it on. While I'm looking for my super glue, my grandson is playing with it. The case is falling off, but he's still having fun.
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So cute to see this thing wobbling across the floor
by M. Heiss (5 out of 5 stars)
May 19, 2012

Of course, my creative son says, "Mom, it's not CUTE. It's awesome."

But honestly, this robot is just darling -- adding eyes to the form gives it a little personality.

My son spray-painted his can gold before he built this, but you could use any old can. I like how the can is not gripped too tightly by the robot -- you can switch cans as you please.

This was a fun mechanical toy for him to build, and it took him quite a while -- 2 hours or so, mostly because of the teeny-tiny screws.

Here's tip, Moms: If you have a magnet in the house, get it out for this project. It will keep all those tiny metal parts from rolling onto the floor.
*** update -- I added our photos in customer images ***
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Great Project to build WITH your child, but with slight issues
by M. Stacy (4 out of 5 stars)
February 11, 2012

I purchased this toy to build with a 5 year old who currently has a fascination with robots, and it was a major hit! He loves it. His younger sister loves it. And after taking it to "Show and Tell" at school, he quickly discovered that his entire class loves it, evident by the fact that he heard the phrase "will you build me one" many, many times that day.

The project was very easy to assemble, and contrary to many reviews I see here, I experienced no issues with "fragile, easily broken parts." (I'm writing this review 3 weeks after assembly, and the robot still looks mint, despite hours of play) Assembly took approximately 1 hour, but could have taken much less if I hadn't proceeded slowly to explain the how and why of things during the building process.

Despite my overall positive experience with this toy, a couple of small issues slightly hurt the overall product --
1) In the parts list section of the instructions, the 2 screw types are labeled incorrectly. This will become evident (and the problem resolves itself) as soon as you begin to use the screws, but the error did cause a few minutes of confusion during assembly.
2) The 2 bolts used to connect the arm brackets are simply too short. They may work if you grind the bracket slightly, or simply force the bolts enough to reach the nut, hoping to not break anything in the process, but luckily, I had screws in my "scrap parts container" that worked perfectly. To avoid unnecessary aggravation, I recommend visiting a hardware store and replacing the 4 bolts with bolts that are approximately 1/16 longer. This will cost a few cents extra, plus a trip to the hardware store, but will help ensure a much more positive experience with assembly.

Overall, we enjoyed this toy enough to order another robot from the same company (different model). I had fun with this project, the child is still having fun with this project, and he learned quite a bit about motors, current, why a battery makes his toys move, and why adjusting the cams (feet) impact the movement types. I'd call that a major win, despite the minor annoyances.
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Grandpa and Grandson bonding and problem solving quality time
by Michael E. Murray (4 out of 5 stars)
March 27, 2016

I ordered this for my grandson in California since I was in Alaska quite a while back. His mother held on to it until I got down to see him so I could help him put it together (that was not my plan). He and I laid down on the living room floor and got into it. You need an AA battery and a good little phillips (cross head) screw driver. We also fetched a tweezer to hold some of the little screws in place before screwing them in. He is 10 and very capable but it was definitely a two person job for first timers. Also one had to be somewhat instinctive with the directions. Once you get it together the thing works and is fun. In the end I was happy my daughter waited for me to come down as the project provided some good bonding time, some solvable challenges (tough but not too tough) and and some laughter as well.
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Worth the money.
by Mileydis Hill (4 out of 5 stars)
December 28, 2016

Purchased this product for my 8 year old for Christmas. I thought he'd love it since he's into electronics and robotics. He and his dad sat down to put it together but he just wouldn't sit still, I guess he just isn't ready to sit there and put things together that has small pieces. Non the less my husband enjoyed putting it together and we all enjoyed it afterwards. Great buy! ;)

Only reason I'm giving it a 4 star is because my husband said that the directions were a bit confusing the names of pieces on the back of the box didn't match the names used in the directions booklet so he ended up just looking at the picture mostly and putting it together that way.

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