DINO EGG Catch Challenge
Maker Faire Bay Area 2026
September 25th-27th
DINO EGG Catch Challenge is a hands-on robotics game!
Visitors guide a custom dinosaur-shaped mobile robot (LeKiwi) through an arena filled with dinosaur egg capsules. The dinosaur’s long articulated neck is built from an SO-ARM101 robotic arm, and its gripper is hidden inside the dinosaur’s mouth so that it appears to gently pick up each egg with its jaws.
Participants can choose from three different ways to play:
1. Drive Mode — Use a directional controller to drive the dinosaur close to an egg, then let the robotic arm automatically detect and pick it up.
2. Autonomous Mode — Give the dinosaur the entire mission and watch it search for, approach, and collect an egg by itself.
3. Puppet Mode — Move a leader robotic arm by hand and directly control the matching follower arm inside the dinosaur’s neck and head.
The exhibit combines human control, autonomous robotics, computer vision, wheel PID control, imitation learning, and leader–follower teleoperation in one playful experience. Visitors can compare how the same robot behaves when controlled by a person, assisted by AI, or operating autonomously.
Each captured dinosaur egg contains an original dinosaur NFC keychain designed by nine-year-old maker Kanata. Catch an egg, open the capsule, and take home your dinosaur character!
Kanata the Kid Creator & STEM Dad
Kanata the Kid Creator and his dad are a father-and-son maker team from Tokyo, Japan. Nine-year-old Kanata develops ideas, characters, and playful experiences, while his dad helps bring them to life through robotics, artificial intelligence, electronics, programming, and 3D printing. Together, they create interactive projects that inspire children to explore technology and experience the joy of making.
