Robot Butterfly
Robot Butterfly is a companion robot to appreciate the elegance of nature with, while observing all the details — no matter how tiny or inconspicuous!
Perfect for intermediate makers, and ideal for beginners looking to advance their skills.
Kit
With the Robot Butterfly kit, you'll create a charming companion that flaps its wings and sparkles in response to its sensors. The kit includes motors, sensors, a circuit board, and a 3D printed enclosure. You'll solder through-hole components onto the circuit board, assemble the enclosure with fasteners, and attach the wings. Experience the magic of bringing a robot to life as you put all the pieces together. The microcontroller is programmable through the Arduino IDE with additional code available for future tinkering. Once assembled, simply press the buttons to activate party mode! 😎 PS: A holographic wing sticker is included too!
Highlights:
- Soldering a circuit board
- Assembling 3D printed pieces
- Programming a microcontroller
- Discovering details in nature
- Connecting with online community
Community at a Glance
9
chrysalis hatched
(kits delivered)
1
observations in nature
(photos on #RobotButterfly)
6
virtual community participants
(members on Discord)Robot Butterfly in Nature
Technical Information
Specifications
- Microcontroller: ESP32-WROOM
- Power: 2x AA batteries or USB-C
- Sensors: MPU6050 6-DOF IMU, HC-SR04 ultrasonic distance sensor, DHT11 temperature & humidity, Photocell ambient light levels, 2x tactile buttons
- Actuators: 2x 9g Servo motors
- Indicators: Buzzer for sound, Neopixel RGB lights, two status LEDs, RX/TX LEDs, and power LED
- User-programmable with Arduino IDE, sample code provided
- Footprint for additional pins and peripherals provided
- Open source available at the following repositories: Robot Butterfly, Boostlet!, Keystone
Open Source Hardware
Robot Butterfly's design files are released as open source hardware, provided under these unique terms:
If you replicate it, please take a photo of it in nature and email it to me with the city and its nickname!
Open Hardware Summit
Thank you to the workshop participants for joining this workshop!
Thank you to the following people who helped with the production of the Robot Butterflies! Jason, Bradley, KMx Laser Cutting, family members.
Thank you to the following people for assistance at the conference! Lee, Sid, Brittany, Christine, Anu, Darcy.
Union Gallery
Robot Butterfly was on exhibit June 13 – August 5, 2023 as a part of the Gentle Disruptions exhibit at Union Gallery at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, curated by Vince Ha.
Artwork Statement
Do robot butterflies dream of electric snails? Robot Butterfly is analogous to its bio-inspired counterpart, with extra flair. Luminescence twinkles and wing movements change based on the proximity of a person or object in front of it. After plenty of interaction, dance mode is activated. This is where the robot diverges from nature — both wings moving in opposite directions in a fast yet subtle glitchy behaviour, luminescence akin to a disco, and its motors making a cacophony of melodic mechatronic sounds!
The wings of the butterfly are 3D printed in an iridescent material, reflecting different colours depending on the viewing angle. A variety of wings accompany the Robot Butterfly, each with different patterns unique to 3D printing, such as gyroid and concentric circles. Combined with the material effects, the wings create a compelling visual piece for the viewer.
When viewers see this artwork, they will reflect on how future technologies can harness inspiration from nature, and go further in creative new ways. It will also show the viewer how technology attempts to fill the void of the impermanence of nature, as butterflies migrate each year, yet technology has a vastly different implementation.
Contact
Page last updated: April 10 2025 07:02:50.