How to Start a LEGO MINDSTORMS Robotics Program for Elementary and Middle School Students Jointly Presented by The University of Texas at San Antonio and Texas Tech University Dr. Can (John) Saygin College of Engineering Interactive Technology Experience Center (itec) http://itec.utsa.edu Courtney Pinnell Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering http://www.depts.ttu.edu/coe/stem/gear/ Saturday, June 9, 2012 -- 3:00-4:15 pm Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center (Room: 214A), San Antonio
Workshop Objectives To demonstrate the basic operation of Lego MindStorms NXT TM. To briefly guide you through a hands-on application. To introduce GEAR (Getting Excited About Robotics) Competition (http://www.gearrobotics.org). Expectations are limited by constraints We have 75 minutes How 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 2
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) Dr. Can (John) Saygin Professor of Mechanical Engineering Director, interactive Technology Experience Center (itec) The University of Texas - San Antonio (UTSA) Mechanical Engineering Department One UTSA Circle San Antonio, Texas 78249-0670 can.saygin@utsa.edu Feel Free to Contact Us Dr. Tanja Karp Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering TTU Fulbright Program Adviser TTU Society of Women Engineers Faculty Advisor Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX 79409-3102 tanja.karp@ttu.edu How 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 3
Effective Learning HARDWARE NOT GIVEN GIVEN 3 STEP 3 For an existing program, design a robot that does what the program is intended for 1 STEP 1 - For an existing robot & program, demonstrate what it does and how it does 4 STEP 4 Given a robotic mission, design a robot, write a program, and improve both if needed 2 STEP 2 For an existing robot and its mission, write a program or rewrite program of Step 1... PROGRAM GIVEN PROGRAM NOT GIVEN PROGRAMMING /SOFTWARE How 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 4
Inspire Teach Excite Challenge Introduction to NXT: Overview and Your First Robot
The Big Picture Lego Pieces + NXT Brain Sensors Inspire Teach Excite Challenge 6
Introduction LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT is a robotics toolset that provides endless opportunities for budding inventors, robotics fanatics and LEGO builders ages 10 and older to build and program robots that do what they want. Inspire Teach Excite Challenge 7
Introduction 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 featurerich software. Inspire Teach Excite Challenge 8
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 connect their computer to the NXT for program transfer. The robot then takes on a life of its own, fully autonomous from the computer. Inspire Teach Excite Challenge 9
The Brain Inspire Teach Excite Challenge 10
The Brain This image of the NXT Brain depicts two series of holes These are designed to allow the user to create a cradle for the brain. The standard pegs that come in your NXT kit will fit snugly into these holes. Inspire Teach Excite Challenge 11
Motor Motors are a combination of three items: 1. An electric motor. 2. A position sensing device. 3. A feedback circuit to control the motor. Motor receives its information from the brain of the robot. Communication between the motor and the brain is transmitted through an NXT cable. Inspire Teach Excite Challenge 12
Let s build a basic car! Inspire Teach Excite Challenge 13
Follow the Line single sensor Inspire Teach Excite Challenge 14
Inspire Teach Excite Challenge Line Following With One Light Sensor
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). Inspire Teach Excite Challenge 16
Edge following or line following? The easiest way to follow a line is to follow the edge, moving on and off the black. Inspire Teach Excite Challenge 17
When on white it needs to go to black. When on black it needs to go to white.?? Inspire Teach Excite Challenge 18
... And back to black again. While doing this, it edges up the line. Inspire Teach Excite Challenge 19
Basic Line Follow Stops Switch B Forward Left Inspire Teach Excite Challenge 20
Basic Line Follow The Switch block and its configuration panel The trigger point value determines when the sensor is seeing black or white. It is the average between the black % and white %. (Black% + White%) 2 Inspire Teach Excite Challenge 21
Basic Line Follow A partially completed line-follow program should look like this... IMPORTANT Set Move block duration to Unlimited. Don t download yet What still needs to be added Inspire Teach Excite Challenge 22
Finished Line (Edge) Follow Program Inspire Teach Excite Challenge 23
Educate NXT www.educatenxt.com Inspire Teach Excite Challenge 24
THANK YOU!!! Inspire Teach Excite Challenge UTSA Engineering & itec proudly thank all of our GEAR sponsors!!!
GEAR 2012 @ UTSA 112 teams 550 students 112 volunteers (1/team) welcome, parking, team mgt and staging, 800-900 Fans on bleachers 6 Judges (outside playing field support and assessment) 32 Referees (during games) Gymnasium, Security/Police, Audio/Video, Parking, Registration, Housekeeping, Food for Volunteers, Setup & take down,
GEAR @ Texas Tech University Courtney Pinnell and Dr. Tanja Karp, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Texas Tech University tanja.karp@ttu.edu ASEE K-12 Workshop, June 2012
History: GEAR @ TTU 6-8 week LEGO robotics competition for elementary 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
GEAR Hubs: TTU, UTSA, Richardson
TTU GEAR Events New Teacher Workshop (January) Kickoff Event: (February, Engineers Week) GEAR Trial Run (March) GEAR Game Day (April, National Robotics Week)
GEAR 2012 Activities
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 for customers Distribution of game mats to all teams in Texas
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
ENGR 1315 Students at GEAR Trial Run
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
GEAR Sponsors
Pipeline of K-12 Robotics Competitions @ TTU GEAR 1 st -8 th grade BEST 7 th 12 th grade FRC 9 th -12 th grade