STEM Robotics

Doug Porter Saint Ursula Academy Cincinnati ,Ohio 45206 [email protected]

20 Years as a teacher • 6 th Grade Life Science • • 7 th Grade Earth and Space Science • 8 th Grade Physical Science • Tech Prep • General Biology • CP Biology • Honors Biology • AP Biology • Anatomy and Physiology • Forensics Robotics: Coach, Competition director Instructor, Writer

What is a robot?

• • • • • Characteristics

Robots are…

Tools (make work easier, safer in some way) Mechanical (move, or manipulate objects) Sensors (respond to, or detect changes) Autonomous/Remote Control Programmable ?

Yes Yes/ No No Yes Yes Yes

What is the purpose of your robotics program?

• • • • Develop Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math skills (STEM).

Develop critical thinking, problem solving skills Develop team work Tie STEM activities to existing courses/programs

•

Junkbots

Getting Started

Cheaply Motors Battery Holders Switches Electronics

The art of creative dumpster diving

Classroom Challenges

Junkbots • • Make an electric car that runs.

Make it stop before it hits the wall.

– Think outside the box, what do the rules allow, limit?

• Make a mechanical sensor that stops the car before it hits the wall. (Let the students modify the rules) – Repeat: Learn from others, modify, improve. After the first few examples let the students choose the challenge and let them make the rules.

EX: Stop at the edge of a table, sumo bots http://www.kelvin.com/

• • • • •

BEAM Robotics

“Mark Tilden” BEAM = Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics, Mechanics:

Biology

-- It's tough to beat 4 billion years of evolution; the world around us is a wonderful source of inspiration and education. Bear in mind, of course, that unlike Mother Nature, you also have the advantage of gears, motors, bearings, and good glues! Bioengineering

Electronics

-- It kind of goes without saying, but this is what we'll use to drive our creations. BEAM robotics, though, strives for rich behaviors from simple circuits. Here's the key: simple and understandable circuits, surprisingly complex in behavior. Physics

Aesthetics

-- This just means your creations should look good. I'm an engineer, but even I appreciate a good-looking design. Besides, if a design looks "clean," it's more likely to work (and easier to test / debug) than a design that's tangled and unruly. Engineering, Art, Design

Mechanics

-- This is the less-than-obvious secret of many successful BEAMbots - with a clever mechanical design, you can reduce the complexity of the rest of your robot (reducing the number of motors and sensors, for example). Physics, Engineering BEAM

Biology

Sensing and Responding to the environment

Solarbotics parts and network

• http://www.solarbotics.com/ • http://www.solarbotics.net/

Make Magazine Project Ideas

• http://makezine.com/

•

Educational Robotics

Lego Robotics:

– http://robomatter.com/Shop-By-Robot –

RCX: Programmable Autonomous

http://www.legoeducation.us/eng/search/RCX – –

NXT: Programmable or Remote

http://www.legoeducation.us/eng/categories/product s/middle-school/lego-mindstorms education/_/characteristics/productType~LEGO%20Se ts – –

Tetrix: Programmable or Remote

http://www.pitsco.com/store/default.aspx?CategoryID

=62&searchtype=0&c=8-1|62-2&t=0&l=0&loc=mm1

First Competitions

• • • VEX Robotics : Programmable or Remote http://www.vexrobotics.com/ VEX World Competition: http://www.robotevents.com/robot competitions/vex-robotics-competition

Robolab RCX Robots

Programming

Mindstorms NXT, Tetrix Robots Robot C RCX NXT Tetrix VEX

Other Competitions

• BEST Robotics • BotBall – Botball Store

•

Links and Resources

Parts/Kits – Junkbots/BEAM • http://www.kelvin.com/ • http://www.solarbotics.com/ – Educational Kits • http://robomatter.com/ • http://robomatter.com/Shop-By-Robot • • http://www.legoeducation.us/eng/search/RCX http://www.legoeducation.us/eng/categories/products/middle-school/lego mindstorms-education/_/characteristics/productType~LEGO%20Sets • http://www.pitsco.com/store/default.aspx?CategoryID=62&searchtype=0&c=8 1%7C62-2&t=0&l=0&loc=mm1&bhcp=1 • http://www.vexrobotics.com/

Links and Resources cont

.

• • • Books/Magazines – http://makezine.com/ – – http://find.botmag.com/ http://www.servomagazine.com/ – Davids Cooks Robot Guides http://www.robotroom.com/ Software – RobotC http://www.robotc.net/ Software Tutorials, Teacher Materials, Workshops and Training – Carnegie Mellon University http://www.education.rec.ri.cmu.edu/roboticscurriculum/ –

Robot C Virtual Worlds

http://www.robotc.net/download/rvw/