Make a pollinator
Create a pollination system that could help astronauts grow nutritious food in space.
Text version of infographic entitled "The engineering design process"
The engineering design process
- Problem or challenge
- Define the problem
- Identify the constraints on your solution (e.g. time, money, materials) and criteria for success
- Brainstorm multiple solutions for the problem
- Select the most promising solution
- Prototype your solution
- Test and evaluate your prototype
- Iterate to improve your prototype
- Communicate your solution
Infographic entitled "The engineering design process". (Credit: Canadian Space Agency [CSA])
Define
As we prepare to travel to the Moon and eventually to Mars, we need to better understand how to grow food in space and on other planets.
When the wind blows on Earth, it can take the pollen from one plant to another to help grow new plants. Various insects and birds can also help the pollination process as they land on flowers and carry pollen onto the next flower. As a matter of fact, one of the most efficient pollinators is the bumblebee, because it reaches directly in the middle of the flower.
In space, there is no wind, no insects and no birds. Canadian scientists are doing research on how to efficiently grow nutritious food in space, such as vegetables, fruits and grains. Devices called pollinators may be required to carry the pollen to make sure new plants can grow to help feed astronauts.
Identify
What is pollination and how does it work? Pollination is taking the seeds from the male part of the flower and sharing them with the female part of another flower. This process will fertilize the seeds and then the flower will be able to produce a fruit. So we cannot have plants without pollination.
Scientists are exploring how technologies like robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence could help us with space pollination.
Keep in mind that plants of the same species are needed to pollinate each other. Most plants and trees can't pollinate themselves. They rely on cross-pollination to make things work. Your challenge will be to design a pollination system to help do research on how to grow food in space.
Suggested materials
- Paper, graph paper or isometric paper to sketch your design
- Elastic bands and/or string or wool
- Pencil or crayons
- A choice of wood sticks, pencils, straws, or straight branches or twigs
- Cardboard, construction paper, or empty cereal box
- Beads (optional but you can also make your own paper beads)
- Fasteners (elastics, binder clips, brads, pipe cleaners, string, tape, glue, or homemade glue)
- Scissors or cardboard cutters
- Straws or roll recycled paper to make tubes if necessary
- Any repurposed materials you have on hand (plastic bottles, egg cartons, straws or rolled-up paper to make a tube, popsicle sticks, small twigs, rocks, etc.)
- Variety of paints, coloured paper, or crayons, pencil crayons, markers, tinfoil, or any other materials available to make your design look awesome
- Hot glue gun (optional)
- LEGO, K'NEX blocks, KEVA blocks (optional)
Text version of infographic showing a few cardboard cutting and folding techniques
A few cardboard cutting and folding techniques
- Flange
- L-brace
- Tabs
- Slot + cut
- Slot + tab
- String
A few cardboard cutting and folding techniques. (Credit: CSA)
Brainstorm
Simple mechanisms
- What are the different types of simple mechanisms?
- How do they differ from high-tech mechanisms?
- Think about one of your last adventures: where do you think you saw simple mechanisms in action (construction sites, shipyards, mechanic shop, etc.)?
- What are some common features and differences between both?
Pollinators
- What are pollinators?
- Why are they important? What do they do?
- When you go on a picnic, you can pack cans and a variety of food with you. Can we just pack cans of food for space missions? Imagine having to plan all the food you need for a trip of three months or more and having to stock it. What would you bring?
- How can you recreate wind, or the pollination process using technology like robotics or automation?
- Astronauts can only eat so many dehydrated food packs on long missions. Since plants need a lot of attention to stay healthy, we have to figure out how to grow food without real life pollinators. How can robotics help with pollination?
- What can we use to replicate the role of an insect or a bird in the pollination process? Can we develop a system to allow for the pollen of one flower to be transferred to another?
Select
From your brainstorming session, identify the most promising idea and try to sketch it out on paper. Please try to label your important features. How will you decide what materials to use?
Prototype
Example of a pollination system built by students. (Credit: CSA)
Let's build a pollinator using simple mechanisms.
- Decide which mechanism you would like to use in order for your pollinator to be able to be in contact with every plant/flower (pulley, lever, wheel and axle, wedge, incline plane, and screw).
- Build a system to pollinate your flowers. Decide how far apart your plants will be.
- What materials can you use to play the part of the pollinator and make sure it reaches the different plant flowers?
- After you are done building your system, please make sure it can stand on its own. You may have to reinforce it with supports so it doesn't fall down.
Test
- Test out your creation. Did it work like you thought it would? What improvements can you make? What other materials could you use to help make it better?
- How will it work when your plants grow? How can it be adjusted?
Iterate
- What will happen when your plants grow at different rates?
- What improvements can you make? What other materials could you use to help make it better?
- What other simple mechanism could you use in your design?
- Will your system work as well in microgravity?
Communicate
- What are the highlights of your pollinator? Is there something about it you are really excited about?
- Share your project with us. Ask an adult to share a picture on social media and tag the CSA. You never know: a real astronaut might see your creation!
Taking it further
- What would happen if all pollinators were to disappear? Use your five senses and imagine a world without pollinators. What would you see, smell, hear, touch and taste? What could you make to help pollinators here on Earth?
- Use ScratchJr to code a sprite to pollinate plants on the Lunar Gateway.
- If they are available to you, try using Scratch and a Makey Makey to make your pollination system interactive.
- Add paper circuits to add lights.
- Use a micro:bit to add a temperature sensor and turn on a fan or a servo motor to automate the pollination process.
- Write a story about your favourite pollinator's adventures aboard a space station.
- Make a green screen video of your creation aboard a space station.
Curriculum links
- Creativity, critical thinking, problem solving
- Math:
- Measurement – standard and non-standard
- Geometry – shapes
- Science:
- Pollination and cross-pollination
- Plant growth
- Space and space exploration
- Health:
- Healthy eating habits
- Technology:
- Intro to robotics and automation