This unique boat design employs two Archimedean screws to move and turn, and is controlled by a Circuit Playground Express, Adafruit's powerful and highly adaptable programming platform.

This project uses easily available household materials and serves as a great introduction to basic engineering concepts as well as MakeCode's block coding system, a web-based code editor similar to Scratch or Code.org

Archimedes' screw has been used to pump and lift water since antiquity. In this project two water screws are used to propel a boat through water, and can be programmed with MakeCode to navigate a bathtub's open seas.

Archimedes' screw was first successfully demonstrated as a method of ship propulsion on the SS Archimedes in 1838. 

Parts

A Black woman's manicured hand holds a round microcontroller with lit up LEDs.
Circuit Playground Express is the next step towards a perfect introduction to electronics and programming. We've taken the original Circuit Playground Classic and...
$24.95
In Stock
Continuous Rotation Micro Servo spinning around
Need to make a tiny robot? This little micro servo rotates 360 degrees fully forward or backward, instead of moving to a single position. You can use any servo code, hardware,...
$7.50
In Stock
Group of Small Alligator Clip to Male Jumper Wires
When working with unusual non-header-friendly surfaces, these handy cables will be your best friends! No longer will you have long, cumbersome strands of alligator clips. These...
$3.95
In Stock
USB cable - USB A to Micro-B - 3 foot long
This here is your standard A to micro-B USB cable, for USB 1.1 or 2.0. Perfect for connecting a PC to your Metro, Feather, Raspberry Pi or other dev-board or...
$2.95
In Stock

Materials

In addition to the electronics, for this project you will also need:

This guide was first published on May 14, 2019. It was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

This page (Overview) was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

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