I. Title of Module: Robotics

II. Author: Howard A. Stern

III. Grade Level:

• High School 9-12

IV. Nature of The Students:

• Urban Minority

V. Purposes (Course Objectives):

Robotics was designed to allow students to explore problem-solving in a novel but non-threatening environment.  This was accomplished through a series of challenges using Lego Mindstorms RCX robotics kits and a series of increasingly complex challenges.

Beginnings:

Discussion of what we mean by the word “robot.”  Introduction to materials.  Appropriate use of laptop computers.  Housekeeping (set-up and break-down procedures for each day).

First exploration:

Capabilities of RoboLab programming software.  Build first robots and program them to run.  Discussion of Lego geometry – what shapes are possible using Lego bricks?  Challenge:  Build a robot which will move forward exactly 15 inches, and then stop.

Second exploration:

Sensing the environment.  Explore how the RCX brick can receive information about the surroundings via sensors and input ports.  Challenges:  Using a touch-sensor, build a robot which will backup and then turn right if it bumps into something.   Using a light sensor, build a robot which will stop when it reaches a black line.

Third exploration:

Power transmission.  Without going into complex physics, students explored notions of force, work, and torque.  How do gears work?   What gear ratios are best for climbing hills?   What gear ratios are best for rapid movement?

Final project:

Build a robot which will successfully traverse an obstacle course consisting of one hill, one maze (right turn then left turn), and a 36 inch black-line path.

Materials:  For each group of three to four students there was one laptop computer with RoboLab 2.5.4 installed, and one Lego Mindstorms For Schools kit #9793.

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Last Updated August 13, 2007 by Roz Krakowsky
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