Hydraulic Robotic Arm Holiday Program – North Melbourne
A school holiday program at North & West Melbourne Neighbourhood Centre in North Melbourne for kids aged 10+, designed and led by engineers from EBK Academy (Engineers Building Knowledge).
Build a fully articulated robotic arm powered entirely by hydraulics — no motors, no electronics. Using nothing but syringes, tubing, and liquid, students construct a multi-jointed arm and discover how fluid pressure can lift, push, and grip. A hands-on introduction to fluid power and mechanical motion that students build and take home.
Location
North & West Melbourne Neighbourhood Centre
58 Errol StreetNorth Melbourne VIC 3051AustraliaGet DirectionsSession #1
Start
Thursday 24 September 2026
10:00 AM
End
Thursday 24 September 2026
1:15 PM
Pickup / Drop-off
- Students should arrive 5 minutes prior to the start time.
- Parents may collect children from the general waiting area or authorise self-release.
Curriculum
Subject Content
- Mechanical Design & Assembly
- Hydraulics & Fluid Power
- Physics of Motion (Degrees of Freedom)
- Force & Pressure (Pascal's Principle)
- Tools, Components and Work Safety
Course Outcomes
- Understand degrees of freedom and how they define the ways an object can move
- Explain how hydraulic systems use incompressible liquids to transfer force
- Apply Pascal's Principle to real-world mechanical systems
- Build and assemble a multi-jointed mechanical arm from individual components
- Compare hydraulic and pneumatic systems and evaluate their real-world applications
- Develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills through hands-on construction and testing
Venue
North & West Melbourne Neighbourhood Centre, 58 Errol Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051, Australia
What's included
- All project materials and components
- A finished project your child takes home
- Step-by-step guidance from engineer instructors
What to bring
- Laptop (Windows 10+ or macOS), charger and mouse
- Snacks for a 20-minute recess
- A water bottle