how to start a lego mindstorms robotics program for elementary and middle school students

7/30/2019 How to Start a LEGO MINDSTORMS Robotics Program for Elementary and Middle School Students

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How to Start a LEGO MINDSTORMSRobotics Program for Elementary and

Middle School StudentsJointly Presented by The University of Texas at San Antonio and Texas Tech University

Dr. Can (John) SayginCollege of Engineering

Interactive Technology Experience Center (iTEC)

http://itec.utsa.edu

Saturday, June 9, 2012 -- 3:00-4:15 pm

Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center (Room: 214A), San Antonio

Courtney PinnellEdward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineeringhttp://www.depts.ttu.edu/coe/stem/gear/


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Workshop Objectives To demonstrate the basic operation of Lego

MindStorms NXTTM.

To briefly guide you through a hands-onapplication.

To introduce GEAR (Getting Excited About Robotics)

Competition (http://www.gearrobotics.org).

2How to Start a LEGO MINDSTORMS Robotics Program for Elementary and Middle School Students

K-12 ASEE Workshop by UTSA and Texas Tech June 9, 2012

Expectations are limited by constraints

We have 75 minutes
http://www.gearrobotics.org/http://www.gearrobotics.org/


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AGENDA Introductions: Tell us about your goals (10 min) Know what is on your thumb-drive (5 min)

Intro to NXT and Example 1 (10 min)

Example 2 (5 min)

What is GEAR? (UTSA Video and Texas Tech prsnt) (10 min)

GEAR 2012 (including programming) (25 min)

Q & A Session (10 min)

3How to Start a LEGO MINDSTORMS Robotics Program for Elementary and Middle School Students


Dr. Tanja Karp

Associate Professor of Electrical andComputer Engineering

TTU Fulbright Program Adviser

TTU Society of Women Engineers Faculty

Advisor

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, TX 79409-3102

[email protected]

Dr. Can (John) Saygin

Professor of Mechanical EngineeringDirector, interactive Technology Experience Center

(iTEC)

The University of Texas - San Antonio (UTSA)

Mechanical Engineering Department

One UTSA Circle

San Antonio, Texas 78249-0670

[email protected]

Feel Free to Contact Us
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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3 STEP 3 For an

existing program, design

a robot that does what

the program is intended

for

4 STEP 4 Given

a robotic mission,

design a robot, write

a program, and

improve both if

needed

1 STEP 1 - For an

existing robot &

program, demonstrate

what it does and how it

does

2 STEP 2 For an

existing robot and its

mission, write a

program or rewrite

program of Step 1...

PROGRAMMING

/SOFTWARE

HARDWARE

PROGRAM

NOT GIVEN

PROGRAM

GIVEN

NOT GIVEN

GIVEN

Effective Learning

How to Start a LEGO MINDSTORMS Robotics Program for Elementary and Middle School Students


4


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Introduction to NXT:

Overview and Your First Robot

Inspire | Teach | Excite | Challenge


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The Big Picture


NXT

Brain

Sensors

+LegoPieces

6


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LEGO MINDSTORMS

NXT is a robotics toolset

that provides endless

opportunities forbudding inventors,

robotics fanatics and

LEGO builders ages 10

and older to build andprogram robots that do

what they want.

Inspire | Teach | Excite | Challenge 7

Introduction


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The heart of the system is the

NXT brick, an autonomous LEGO

microprocessor that can be

programmed using a PC.

Designers create a program

with easy-to-use, yet feature-

rich software.


Introduction


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Introduction

Downloading programs to an application is easy.

Users with Bluetooth-enabled computer hardware

can transfer their programs to the NXT wirelessly, or

anyone can use the included USB cable to connecttheir computer to the NXT for program transfer.

The robot then takes on a life of its own, fully

autonomous from the computer.



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The Brain



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This image of the NXT

Brain depicts two series

of holes These aredesigned to allow the

user to create a cradle

for the brain.

The standard pegs thatcome in your NXT kit will

fit snugly into these holes.


The Brain


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Motors are a combination ofthree items:

1. An electric motor.

2. A position sensing device.

3. A feedback circuit to

control the motor.


12

Motor

Motor receives its information from the brain of the

robot. Communication between the motor and the brain is

transmitted through an NXT cable.


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Lets build a basic car!



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Follow the Line single sensor



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Line FollowingWith One Light Sensor


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Attach a light sensor

To attach a light sensor to the EduBot, refer to pages

32-33 of the NXT Building Guide (that comes with the

Education Kit).


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Edge following or line following?

The easiest way

to follow a line is

to follow theedge, moving on

and off the black.


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When on white it

needs to go to black.

When on black it needs

to go to white.

? ?


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. . . And back to blackagain.

While doing this, itedges up the line.


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ForwardB

Stops

Basic Line Follow

Switch

Left


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Basic Line Follow

The trigger point value determines

when the sensor is seeing black or

white.

It is the average between the black% and white %.

The Switch blockand its configuration panel

(Black% + White%) 2


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Basic Line FollowA partially completed line-follow program should look like this . . .

Set Move block

duration to

Unlimited.

IMPORTANT

Dont download

yet

What still needs to

be added


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Finished Line (Edge) Follow Program


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Educate NXT

www.EducateNXT.com
http://www.educatenxt.com/http://www.educatenxt.com/


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UTSA Engineering & iTEC

proudly thank all of ourGEAR sponsors !!!

THANK YOU !!!


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GEAR 2012 @ UTSA

112 teams

550 students

112 volunteers (1/team) welcome, parking, team mgtand staging,

800-900 Fans on bleachers

6 Judges (outside playing field support andassessment)

32 Referees (during games) Gymnasium, Security/Police, Audio/Video, Parking,

Registration, Housekeeping, Food for Volunteers, Setup& take down,


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GEAR @ Texas Tech University

Courtney Pinnell and Dr. Tanja Karp,

Department of Electrical and Computer EngineeringTexas Tech University

[email protected]

ASEE K-12 Workshop, June 2012


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History: GEAR @ TTU

6 - 8 week LEGO robotics competition forelementary school and middle school

students

Goal: get students excited about STEM

disciplines, learn problem solving skills,design, trouble-shooting, etc.

Most schools work on challenge after

school or during special class periods

No participation fee for schools GEAR competitions at TTU since 2006

50 participating schools, over 180 teams,

500 participants in 2012

www.gearrobotics.org
http://www.gearrobotics.org/http://www.gearrobotics.org/


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GEAR Hubs: TTU, UTSA, Richardson


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TTU GEAR Events

New Teacher Workshop (January)

Kickoff Event: (February,

Engineers Week)

GEAR Trial Run (March) GEAR Game Day (April,

National Robotics Week)


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GEAR 2012 Activities


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Development of GEAR 2012 Challenge

Collaboration with GEAR Game

Design Team and iTEC UTSA

Maintenance of energy

infrastructure of national

energy provider Energy

Incorporated

Robots operate equipment

that helps provide fossil and

alternative energy forcustomers

Distribution of game mats to

all teams in Texas


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GEAR 2012 Kickoff Event at TTU

GEAR 2012 Challenge Power Up, Trial Run and Game Day

Relationship to Real World Engineering Tasks

Felipe Davila, Halliburton

Dr. Michael Giesselmann, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas Tech

Oil Spill Clean-up Hands-on Activity Distribution of Game Pieces and LEGO NXT kits


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ENGR 1315 Students at GEAR Trial Run


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Key Success Factors

Flexibility of implementation at school and hub level

Collaboration between teachers and engineering students

No participation fee for schools

We provide game pieces and game mats for schools

Schools can check out up to 6 LEGO NXT MINDSTORMS kits

Educational opportunities for engineering students

Participation for partial course credit

Service learning projects

Promoting engineering (STEM) through role models

Shared resources between different robotics programs at TTU

Integration of research, teaching, & outreach


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GEAR Sponsors


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Pipeline of K-12 Robotics Competitions @ TTU

GEAR

1st-8th grade

BEST

7th12thgrade

FRC

9th-12th grade

how to start a lego mindstorms robotics program for elementary and middle school students

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