Lesson 4: YOU RE IN CONTROL OF A ROBOT ON MARS!

Transcription

1 Key to Curriculum Formatting: Volunteer Directions Volunteer Notes Volunteer-led Classroom Experiments Lesson 4: YOU RE IN CONTROL OF A ROBOT ON MARS! Begin the presentation by telling the class that this is Lesson 4: You re in Control of a Robot on Mars! If this is not your first visit, reintroduce yourself and the program. Briefly review key concepts from the first 3 lessons. If this is your first visit, here is a suggested personal introduction: Hello, my name is, and I am a (position title) at Aerojet. Today I will speak to you about space exploration and space travel. We will learn a little about robots, past robotic missions to Mars, and future robotic missions to Mars! Answer any questions left over from the previous visit. Show introductory video which includes famous robots such as the Tin Man, R2D2, C3PO, and Data from Star Trek: The Last Generation. See how many students recognize these famous robots. MATERIALS NEEDED AiA Multimedia Presentation (AMP) DVD-ROM Page 1 of 9

2 TV or projection screen Vocabulary List Index Cards See lesson to assess total equipment needs. LESSON OUTLINE Introduction Lesson Concepts Vocabulary How Do Robots Relate to What We Do at Aerojet? 7 Degrees of Freedom for a Human How Do Robots Work in Space? 6 Degrees of Freedom for a Machine Robots in Space Typical Robot Uses Robots in Space Looking Toward the Future Moore s Law Let s Look Ahead You re Going to the Space Station Applying What We ve Learned INTRODUCTION Most of mankind's knowledge of the universe was obtained by robots. Furthermore, robots will continue to play the lead role in the exploration of the heavens for the foreseeable future. This is not to say that mankind's role in the exploration of space is trivial or unnecessary. Humans must ultimately expand their territory past the borders of Earth if our species is to survive. The continuing and expanding use of ever more capable robots in the exploration of space will allow our precious financial resources to be leveraged to obtain the most information for the buck. Mankind will continue to travel into space but will always follow in the footsteps of our robot predecessors. Page 2 of 9

3 LESSON CONCEPTS Artificial Intelligence Degree(s) of freedom Moore's Law VOCABULARY Android: Any machine that looks or acts human Asimov's 3 Laws for Robots: 1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. 2. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. Automaton: A machine that works on its own Cyborg: Part human and part robot Moore s Law: Every 18 months, microprocessor data processing capability will double (capability measured in MIPs -million instructions per second) Robot: A machine that gets information from its surroundings and performs physical actions Page 3 of 9

4 HOW DO ROBOTS RELATE TO WHAT WE DO AT AEROJET? Aerojet's Rocket Engines and Motors have propelled many robots into the solar system. Examples: Titan 3/Centaur rocket launched Viking landers to Mars 1975 Show video. DDelta II launched Spirit and Opportunity rovers to Mars Page 4 of 9

5 Show videos. Introduce students to the concept of degree of freedom of motion. Define degree of freedom: The set of independent displacements that specify completely the displaced or deformed position of the body or system. 7 Degrees of Freedom for a Human 1. Shoulder up and down 2. Shoulder side to side 3. Shoulder rotation 4. Elbow bending 5. Wrist side to side 6. Wrist up and down 7. Wrist rotation Demonstrate the human arm's 7 degrees of freedom. Page 5 of 9

6 HOW DO ROBOTS WORK IN SPACE? Much like they do on Earth! Introduce the class to the 6 basic degrees of freedom required for a machine to be able to perform physical work. Have a student volunteer act as a robot and use the 6 degrees of freedom to grasp an object. 6 Degrees of Freedom for a Machine 1. Rotate base of arm 2. Pivot base of arm 3. Bend elbow 4. Wrist up and down 5. Wrist left and right 6. Pivot wrist Page 6 of 9

7 TYPICAL ROBOT USES We use robots to perform boring, dangerous, or complex tasks requiring extreme accuracy of movement over a prolonged period of time. Robots might be used to: Bolt a fender on a new car moving down a production line Do household chores Aid with major surgery Dispose of bombs! ROBOTS IN SPACE What kinds of features would each of these robots have needed in order to perform their jobs? Early space robots: o 1966: Surveyor performed first analysis of lunar soil o 1970: Venera on Venus confirmed surface pressure is 93 atmospheres, like being 2600 feet under the ocean o 2004: Spirit and Opportunity take photos and perform soil analysis on Mars Page 7 of 9

8 Show video clips of robots working in space. Discuss the goals of each robot and results to date. Use NASA clips of Mars rovers. LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE Robot data processing capability has evolved at a rocket s pace, following Moore's law of microprocessor capability growth. Facts: Moore's Law (of microprocessor capability growth) Every 18 months, microprocessor data processing capability will double. Capability measured in MIPs -million instructions per second o ,000 MIPS Lizard o ,000 MIPs Mouse o ,000,000 MIPs Monkey o ,000,000 MIPS - Human Discuss the implications of Moore's Law on society and day-to-day life in our country. Page 8 of 9

9 APPLYING WHAT WE VE LEARNED Divide the students into groups of 5 or 6. Assign a mission and have each group design a robot to accomplish the mission. Have the students explain which functions their robot has and why. QUIZ THE TEACHER (Q & A) Hand out index cards to the class and ask them to write down one or two questions for you. Ask for a volunteer to collect the cards. Read some of the questions aloud and answer them for the entire class. LET S LOOK AHEAD If you and your teacher have set a meeting for the next presentation, let students know what they will be exploring next session: In the next session, You re Going to the Space Station!, your class will learn about life aboard the International Space Station. Thank class. Page 9 of 9