How Do Sensors Work?

This unit is composed of six lesson/activity pairs related to the functioning of human senses and robot sensors. The unit is the fourth in a series and follows Humans Are Like Robots (unit 1), Our Bodies Have Computers and Sensors (unit 2) and What Is a Computer Program? (unit 3).

Throughout this unit, each group of (2-4) students requires all or portions of the following items:

• LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 robot, such as EV3 Core Set (5003400) at https://education.lego.com/en-us/products/lego-mindstorms-education-ev3-core-set/5003400#lego-mindstorms-education-ev3
• LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 Software (most recent version), free online, you have to register a LEGO account first at https://www.lego.com/en-us/mindstorms/downloads/
• computer, loaded with EV3 Software (most recent version)

Specific and/or additional required materials are indicated in the individual lessons and activities.

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 Base Set
• computer loaded with the NXT 2.1 software

(left) The LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 core set and (right) some of its components.CopyrightCopyright (left) LEGO MINDTSORMS https://education.lego.com/en-us/products/lego-mindstorms-education-ev3-core-set-/5003400; (right) my Robot Center https://www.myrobotcenter.eu/en/lego-mindstorms-ev3-basis-set-45544

The studies of neuroscience and engineering show us how the human brain and sensors are similar to human-made computers and robots, in a functional sense. New findings show us that mathematical principles similar to those used in human brains and systems are useful for electrical, mechanical and biological engineers as they continue to devise better robots, computers and sensors. Engineer-designed sensors are used in a wide variety of applications, examples include speedometers, touchscreens, microphones, baby monitors, nightlights and medical ultrasound imaging. In growing fields such as biological engineering and systems neurobiology, engineers are becoming increasingly involved in human body research and efforts to replicate the functioning of its many systems. For instance, engineers are designing walking robots with sensors, artificial organs such as hearts and livers, and bio-sensors that monitor sugar levels for diabetics.

Computer programming is a component of many modern engineering designs. As students design robot programs throughout this unit, they start with a "goal" or "concept" of what the program solution needs to do and how, before they begin writing the code. Then, the process of working on the code and "debugging" it inherently constitutes "revising and improving their designs based on the results of testing." Thus, the thought processes required to code programs that meet problem constraints are very similar, if not identical, to the thought processes required for traditional engineering design of physical objects and products.

Each lesson and each activity is designed to take one 50-minute session, for a total of twelve 50-minute sessions for the unit. The suggested order to conduct the lesson/activity sets is shown below.