Robot Design Challenges
Students explore the various robot design challengesCopyright (gears) 2002 Jared C. Benedict, Wikimedia Commons; (impalas) 2011 Muhammad Mahdi Karim, Wikimedia Commons; (girl with pencil, girl on field) Microsoft clipart; (screen capture) authors; (LEGO robot) 2006 Eirik Refsdal, Wikimedia Commons; (line drawings) authors. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gears_large.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fighting_impalas_edit2.jpg
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=thinking&ex=1#ai:MP900442219|mt:2|
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=soccer&ex=1#ai:MP900422170|
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lego_Mindstorms_Nxt-FLL.jpg
This unit is composed of two lessons and five activities related to the integration of sensors and motors with programming logic in LEGO robots to perform complex tasks. The unit is the fifth in a series and follows Humans Are Like Robots (unit 1), Our Bodies Have Computers and Sensors (unit 2), What Is a Computer Program? (unit 3) and How Do Sensors Work? (unit 4).
Throughout this unit, each group of (2-4) students requires all or portions of the following items:
- LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 robot, such as the EV3 Core Set (5003400) at https://education.lego.com/en-us/products/lego-mindstorms-education-ev3-core-set/5003400#lego-mindstorms-education-ev3 (includes programmable EV3 intelligent brick; 2 interactive servo motors; color, ultrasonic and 2 touch sensors; and many other components and instructions)
- LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 Software 1.2.1, free online, you have to register a LEGO account first; at https://www.lego.com/en-us/mindstorms/downloads/download-software.
- computer, loaded with EV3 1.2.1 software
Alternative: LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Set:
Note: This activity can also be conducted with the older (and no longer sold) LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT set instead of EV3; see below for those supplies:
- LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT robot, such as the NXT Base Set (includes programmable NXT intelligent brick; 3 interactive servo motors; sound, light, ultrasonic and 2 touch sensors; and many other components and instructions)
- LEGO MINDSTORMS Education NXT Software 2.1
- computer, loaded with NXT 2.1 software
Copyright 2012 Computational Neurobiology Center, College of Engineering, University of Missouri
Our world would be a different place without engineers and all of the technologies, devices, structures and systems they create—vehicles, phones, bridges, medical devices, factories, appliances and software apps—just to name a few. The best way to learn about design and engineering is to take on a design challenge, following the steps of the engineering design process. In order to develop optimal solutions, engineers must identify criteria and specifications for the problem, recognize constraints to solving the problem and then use math and science principles to come up with solutions. Engineers design and test their solutions to evaluate how well they address the problem, an iterative process until success is achieved. In this unit, students apply the information they gathered from previous units and the two lessons in this unit to design solutions for a number of engaging challenges.