Educational Robotics for the Classroom

Mini Project:  InteractiveTimeline for the Electric Car    Submitted by Sue Mellon

1.       Using the timeline created by PBS (link below) as a starting point, identify five key events for this invention and create a one minute audio file for each identified event using Audacity.  The audio file should contain at least three pieces of information outside of the scope of the timeline.  Keep a record of your references for this additional information.

http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/223/electric-car-timeline.html

2.        After creating an audio file, develop a robotic icon for each event.  You will use Robot Diaries to make this interactive exhibit of your research.  This exhibit will work much like those seen in museums.  You may use the distance sensor or some other means to trigger the start of your exhibit.

Grading Rubric

At Carnegie Mellon University,  Snake Robots have been designed and engineered to perform tasks which benefit humans in many ways.  Looking to nature for inspiration, influence, and problem solving, engineers have designed some of the robots’ movements from those of real snakes.  And new “gaits” are being developed for the snake robots beyond what mother nature intended for snake locomotion. The robotic snakes are able to move through pipes, climb poles, and even thread their way through rubble after a disaster to assist in search and rescue.  Now, smaller versions are being engineering to assist with a less invasive form of heart surgery.   

My inspiration for the mini project comes from a small snakebot that was in the lab  with a model of a human heart.  Learning that the robotic snakes were now being used in medicine reminded me of the common symbol associated with medicine - the snake entwined staff of Asclepius, Greek god of medicine and healing.

Mini-Project inspired by a visit with SNAKE ROBOTS:

STAFF of ASCLEPIUS ROBOT DIARY

Student s will research snakes and using the Robot Diaries kits will create their own robotic staff of Asclepius.  Students can choose the species of snake of their choice to depict on the staff.  The robot should include two servos, and at least two lights and at least one sound effect.   The student will read his/her presentation from the point of view of the snake and coordinate the animations with their presentation which will includes the species, diet, how the snake moves, typical size and weight, and  lifespan. The snake itself should represent the snake’s true color and markings.  Additional information can include other interesting facts about snakes (not all snakes have fangs), symbolism of snakes (ex. Biblical references or snake images in ancient or modern times), a joke about snakes (What is a snake’s favorite subject?  Hiss-tory!), or a retelling of one of Aesop’s fables which include snakes.

Zee Ann Poerio

Homework 1

Homework 2

One potential mini project to use in conjunction with the Robot Diaries tool kit is more of a formative assessment than a project. It consists of programming a sequence of LED lights pre-installed in a board. On the board would be items that need to be matched and students would write the code to match the correct items. The code would then be connected to the hummingbird one group at a time to check for accuracy (both for correctness is content and in programming). This would work especially well in topics where chronology is important, such as history, or sequence, such as science.

- Andrew Coy

Description:

This is a model of the right arm bones showing the humerus, radius, ulna, and wrist.  Attached to the model are "muscles" involved in the functions of extension and flexion of the arm at the elbow and the flexion and extension of the wrist.  The muscles are made from strips of pantyhose or red craft foam.  "Tendons" made from rubber bands connect the muscles to the bones at the various attachment points (origin and insertion).  Further testing of the muscle materials will be done. 

Credit:

Terry Richards

The Ellis School

The mini project is based on and inspired by the LISTEN Project in the CREATE Lab. The project would be designed to teach Human Anatomy and Physiology students how to pronounce common scientific or medical terms including ones most likely to be mispronounced.  This project will involve listing the common medical terms associated with each unit, determining the correct pronunciation (using a variety of resources), and finally creating a recording of each term.  This recording would be the voice of the Robot Diaries robot “Decoder” created by different groups of students.  The “Decoder” could possibly be a model of a female physician/scientist who is a specialist for the unit.  The project would be a collaborative such that the terms would be divided among groups of students and each would then listen to the others’ robot.

Classroom experience supports that the students would feel more comfortable when making their end-of-term presentations as their speech would be more accurate and professional when correct pronunciation is used.  A student’s presentation appears unrehearsed when she stumbles over the difficult-to-pronounce words.

Terry Richards

Sue Mellon - Using Robot Diaries to bring a "poem to life"

Going Green Mini Project

Ringo is playing the drums and moving his head simultaneously. I would like to add music and more sequenced movements in the future.Possible songs could be "Yellow Submarine" or "Octopus's Garden". This "Beatlebot" will be something I can use when teaching my middle school students with the 12-week Beatlesongs theme.

Diane Lally

C3PO is looking for storm troopers.  When he finds them with his distance sensors, he throws a thermal detonator at them.