Salt Water Fuel Cell Monster Truck
© 2012 Owi Incorporated
Salt Water Fuel Cell Monster Truck ($26, www.owirobots.com) is a labor intensive plastic model with a DUI battery. Inside the box you'll find a tiny electric motor, stamp-sized sheets of magnesium to power the battery, and about a hundred snap-together parts which must be carefully trimmed, a tedious job that requires some extra tools -- we used nail clippers. Also not in the box: some salt, water, a screw driver and for me -- reading glasses. Working through the 26 page instruction manual consumed an entire evening of problem solving with our 16 year old exchange student. This included a frustrating bout with a jammed piston, a process that used up half our supply of battery materials (refills cost $7). But we had fun, and learned that five drops of salt water, when dripped onto the magnesium, can make enough power to make the car grind across the kitchen table for about 15 minutes. We also figured out that a AA battery work too, with a little duct tape.
$26, smart toy
Teaches: engineering, logic, spatial relations
CTR Rating: 76%