Education is essential at any age. So it’s good to start as early as possible. The experimental kit from the company KOSMOS offers an excellent opportunity to impart knowledge to children in a playful way and to arouse an interest in technical connections at an early age. Creating something with your hands and seeing how it is made step by step motivates and gives a feeling of success when it is finally finished and working.
- Due to the detailed description and structure, building the kit should not be a problem.
- If something is unclear and help is needed, it is helpful if the children are supported and guided by an adult.
- This also minimizes the risk of injury, especially when using tools and handling sharp edges on the plastic parts.
- However, fun should always be in the foreground as this is the best way to impart knowledge and build an interest in wearable technology.
Overview of the KOSMOS Cyborg Hand:
The KOSMOS Cyborg Hand is a plastic molded construction set for a pneumatically or hydraulically powered grabbing mechanism that extends from a child’s hand. It uses over 200 components and is designed to introduce children to wearable technology and pneumatic actuation.
What is in the box, and what else might you need:
The package contains the following:
- Phillips screwdriver (1)
- screws with a broad head (3)
- screws (20)
- cap, small (3)
- cap, big (5)
- short spring (4)
- long spring (3)
- foam pillow (19)
- tube (1)
- lubricating oil (1)
- plastic sprue A-F (in different colors)
- middle hand part (1)
- manual
Additional things that you still need to assemble the kit:
- side cutter or scissors
- nail file
- ruler
- felt tip pen
- cup with water
Construction:
The supplied instructions show the assembly clearly. The respective construction phases are explained in detail in separate sub-steps.
Overview of the construction stages:
- Construct the palm
- Construct the fingers
- Construction of the hydraulic system
- Construction of the thumb
- Final assembly of the Cyborg Hand
The manual imparts additional knowledge between the individual construction phases. This includes information on the hydraulic system and the difference between pneumatic systems. Information on the use of the wearable in various areas is provided.
The construction of the cyborg’s hand is integrated into a small story in the form of a comic so that both younger and older children have fun and do not lose interest in building the set. This fuels the motivation of the little engineers to complete the cyborg hand as well and as quickly as possible to enable Tom & Izzy (the characters in the supplied comic) to escape from the alien planet on which they are stranded.
After successful assembly, the manual also explains how to optimally fit and adjust the cyborg kit to your hand size. Then the respective options are explained in how to adapt the cyborg hand to the objects to be gripped (small objects or large objects).
Note that the hand hydraulic system is somewhat fragile, and safe handling of the cyborg’s hand to avoid damage is also explained in the manual.
Conclusion:
The Cyborg Hand from KOSMOS is an exciting and pedagogically valuable kit that imparts knowledge to children in a playful way. The well-presented and well-thought-out kit offers a lot of fun building and experimenting.
The structured instructions ensure that you are guided step by step to your goal. This prevents frustration among the little engineers and motivates them to admire and try their work.
The time factor plays a subordinate role here. With a little help building, the kit can be completed within hours. Of course, this varies from child to child, considering the child’s age and motor skills. Only the long-term motivation to use the hand is manageable since it only offers a few options for use after construction. Nevertheless, you get a lot for your money here, and it is important to emphasize that education, especially for children of this age, is priceless.
Purchase:
The Cyborg Hand can be ordered directly from the German manufacturer, the current price is 39,99€, but shipping is only officially available to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
The Cyborg Hand may be available in other regions through secondary retailers (it is available on Amazon (link) as of writing this article). The kit is also available from other retailers, some offering worldwide shipping. The prices vary between approx. 25$ – 60$, so a price comparison is worthwhile.
Additional Links and References:
Cyborg Hand’s website (German): https://www.kosmos.de/experimentierkaesten/physik-elektronik/11005/cyborg-hand
Cyborg Hand website (US): https://store.thamesandkosmos.com/products/mega-cyborg-hand
Cyborg Hand Product Video, YouTube: https://youtu.be/SR-D4YYEfQQ
All pictures used in this post are courtesy of Matthias Bey. This is not an affiliated or sponsored content article. Neither Matthias Bey nor the Exoskeleton Report has received compensation or free products for creating and distributing this review.
Matthias Bey is an enthusiast of exoskeleton technology and one of the first backers of the “EduExo” project on Kickstarter. His experience with the STEM kit has further fueled his interestest in exo technology. Matthias is a business professional with years of experience in the German Armed Forces and over a decade at Hewlett-Packard.
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