Tug of War Battle Bots
Students actively battling their robots in a tug of war challenge.Copyright 2010 Polytechnic Institute of New York University
Students are introduced to the concepts of torque, power, friction and gear ratios. Teams modify two robotic LEGO® MINDSTORMS® vehicles by changing their gear ratios, wheel sizes, weight and engine power, while staying within a limit of points to spend on modifications. The robots face each other on a track with a string attaching one to the other. The winning robot, the one with the best adjustments, pulls the other across the line.
Mechanical engineers encounter torque in many systems, such as cars. Gear ratios also play important roles in the operation of cars, which use automatic and manual transmissions to adjust the torque output to suit the terrain. Knowledge of these concepts enables systems to run more efficiently and safely.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Identify gear ratios and the significance of each to the solution of a problem.
- Explain that the solution to an engineering problem may be reached by many ways.
- Work with others to solve a problem.
- Describe the concept of torque and its application to the activity.