FAQ Bionics Kit

The template for the fish silhouette of the Bionic Fish or the Chameleon can be found in our download section. Please print the template on letter paper format.

The template for the spacers for the Bionic Elephant can be found in our download section. Please print the template on A3 paper.

Unfortunately, for sometimes inexplicable reasons, there are always connection problems. We are always working on optimizing and ensuring a proper connection setup.

However, errors can occur due to the different end devices that can be used. We apologize for this.

Trouble shooting:

• Use full batteries (better: rechargeable batteries)
• Check that the servomotor is correctly connected. The black cable of the connector must be connected to GND (Ground). The circuit board is labeled.
• Switch the microcontroller on and off and reconnect it to the end device.
• Switching the Wifi on and off at the end device
• Check the correct input of the password: "education" (all lower case)
• Check if another device in the room is still/already connected to the same microcontroller.
• Check if you were directed to a http:// and not to a https:// website --> if you are directed to a https:// website delete your browser history
• Check that you have connected to the correct microcontroller. The network name of the microcontroller is printed on the board. ("b4e_xx_xx_xx_xx_xx_xx_xx" (xx stands for the individual network name))
• New flashing of the microcontroller via the USB port on the PC (download file available online. Follow the instructions displayed in the window after the program has been executed.

The network name of the microcontroller is printed on the board "b4e_xx_xx_xx_xx_xx_xx_xx" (xx stands for the individual network name).

Please download flash file (password is festo)

Unpack the ZIP file. Connect the microcontroller to the PC using the USB cable. Start the batch file and follow the instructions. The microcontroller is flashed with a new code and should work afterwards.

If you have problems executing the batch file, please execute it as administrator. To do this, right-click on the batch file and select "Run as administrator" from the menu. If you have administrator rights, you can execute the file without any problems. If you still have problems, please contact us via our contact form.

The password is "education”.

The robotic animals can be controlled with your own smartphone. The connection between the microcontroller and the end device must be established.

A native app is not required to control the robot animals. The control interface appears in the browser of the device.

Wifi is only needed if you want to access the teaching materials via the webpage. Otherwise, the microcontroller provides its own hotspot to which the students can connect to control the robotic animal.

The LEDs are status indicators. The green LED indicates whether the microcontroller is switched on. The red LED indicates whether a device is connected. If the red LED is on, no device is connected. If the LED is not on, the microcontroller is connected to your device.

In the user interface there is a "Burger" menu in the upper left corner of the browser, in which you can tap each robot animal individually.

It is best to tap on the point on the line you want to reach.

Currently there is no stop button.

There is a black on/off switch on the microcontroller

The QR code on the microcontroller has no meaning for the user.

Older smartphone models may have problems with the handling of the control interface. Please always use the latest model you own. A note about this: The larger the display, the better.

The microcontroller used is the ESP32 Dev Kit. It is compatible with the Arduino programming language.

The microcontrolle comes pre-programmed.

The source code for changing the code is available free of charge in the download area on the webpage. Before you can load a modified source code onto the microcontroller, you have to download the Arduino IDE and install the library of the ESP32. Instructions can be found in the ZIP file with the source code.

Some of the CAD data is available on our website. Furthermore, the CAD data can be sent by email on request. The file formats are stl and stp. The file size includes the plastic parts of the Bionics Kit.

We also offer spare parts and consumables for sale. Please get in touch via our contact form.

The subjects of biology, technology and natural sciences are particularly suitable for teaching bionics and bionic thinking methods.

The simple assembly of the animals takes about 2 lessons per animal. In addition, there is more material on the webpage, which is enough for a more comprehensive lesson, e.g. biological background knowledge on fish, chameleons and elephants.

Up to four students work together on a construction kit.

The consumables included in the kit are enough for the assembly of 10 animals each. Some of the consumables can/should be reused.

The available teaching material is on the website. A special teacher handbook is currently being developed.

Teacher training is planned for the future.

For sustainability reasons, the building instructions are not included in the kit. However, they can be printed out online via the website in PDF format if needed.