State Standards Addressed TN Science Standards SPI 0607.Inq.3 Interpret and translate data in a table, graph, or diagram. SPI 0607.Inq.4 Draw a conclusion that establishes a cause and effect relationship supported by evidence. SPI 0607.T/E.1 Identify the tools and procedures needed to test the design features of a prototype. SPI 0607.T/E.2 Evaluate a protocol to determine if the engineering design process was successfully applied.
International Technology Engineering Education Association Standards:
Students will develop the abilities to use and maintain technological products and systems.
Students will develop the abilities to assess the impact of products and systems.
Students will develop the abilities to apply the design process.
Students will develop an understanding of the role of troubleshooting, research and development, invention and innovation, and experimentation in problem solving.
Students will develop an understanding of the attributes of design.
Students will develop an understanding of engineering design.
Description of Project
Objective: Students will be able to successfully apply the engineering design process to meet a specified need, and analyze results from their constructed tables and graphs.
Lesson Specifications: Students will be given an objective of constructing a robotic arm to throw a ball a specific distance. They are to test and revise their prototype as necessary, then gather data comparing independent and dependent variables.
Plans to Use in Class (to be modified for age and ability level of class)
Perfect Pitcher
Build a motorized pitching arm. Can you design an arm that can throw the ball a long distance? Can you design an arm that can throw the ball accurately? An arm that can do both?
The design you use is up to you, but your contraption must contain a lever, a motor, and a touch sensor to start the motor. The motor may be used to power the arm directly or to prepare it. For example, you could use the motor to wind a rubber band, which you would then release to activate the arm.
There will be contests for distance and for accuracy. You may choose to enter either or both of the contests. For each contest, the ball must start behind the tape line. However, the EV3 itself may be in front of the line. You may place the pitching arm however you wish, as long as the part holding the ball is behind the line.
Distance scoring: The distance will be measured from the starting line to the spot where the ball first hits the ground. You will get three tries; the best score of the three will count.
Accuracy scoring: The accuracy target will consist of a cup glued to a plate. Throwing the ball into the inner cup earns three points. Touching the inner cup earns two points. Throwing into the outer plate earns one point. You will get three throws; your accuracy score is the cumulative score for the three throws.
1. List the greatest distance your arm threw, if you entered the distance contest.
2. List your accuracy score, if you entered the accuracy contest.
3. Describe a success you had in building your arm.
4. Describe a difficulty you encountered in building your arm.
5. Make a sketch of your pitching arm. Tell whether it is a first, second, or third class lever. Identify the fulcrum, load (output force), and effort force (input force).
6. Some levers are used to magnify the force. In this case, that would mean that the input force is less than the weight of the ball. Other levers are used to magnify the distance that the load (the ball, in this case) moves. Which type of lever did you build, one that magnifies force or one that magnifies distance?
Code Files Developed in Workshop
#This code is the starting code to make a large motor eject a ball and return to the starting position. It can be amended to allow for the ultrasonic sensor to "find the target" before ejecting the ball forward.
The lesson can focus on the engineering design process in the build, then allow students to add to the existing code, or students can program the robot themselves based on their knowledge of code. If the focus of the lesson happens to be on levers alone, or levers plus data collection and analysis, the robot could be pre-built and code pre-written so the students can focus on the data collection.
#Notice the robot has a small motor which can spin the arm and the ultrasonic sensor also attached, but neither are used in the video demonstration or the program. More advanced students can program the ultrasonic sensor to scan the area, turning around in an arc left and right, until it "sees" the target, which will then activate the throwing motion. Lower level students can collect data by changing the arm (large motor) speed within the program to change the trajectory of the ball. They can also use the program as-is, and vary the ball type used.
Grade Level(s) 6-8
Subjects:
Science and STEM
State Standards Addressed
TN Science Standards
SPI 0607.Inq.3 Interpret and translate data in a table, graph, or diagram.
SPI 0607.Inq.4 Draw a conclusion that establishes a cause and effect relationship supported by evidence.
SPI 0607.T/E.1 Identify the tools and procedures needed to test the design features of a prototype.
SPI 0607.T/E.2 Evaluate a protocol to determine if the engineering design process was successfully applied.
International Technology Engineering Education Association Standards:
Students will develop the abilities to use and maintain technological products and systems.
Students will develop the abilities to assess the impact of products and systems.
Students will develop the abilities to apply the design process.
Students will develop an understanding of the role of troubleshooting, research and development, invention and innovation, and experimentation in problem solving.
Students will develop an understanding of the attributes of design.
Students will develop an understanding of engineering design.
Description of Project
Objective:
Students will be able to successfully apply the engineering design process to meet a specified need, and analyze results from their constructed tables and graphs.
Lesson Specifications:
Students will be given an objective of constructing a robotic arm to throw a ball a specific distance. They are to test and revise their prototype as necessary, then gather data comparing independent and dependent variables.
Presentation
Plans to Use in Class (to be modified for age and ability level of class)
Perfect Pitcher
Build a motorized pitching arm. Can you design an arm that can throw the ball a long distance? Can you design an arm that can throw the ball accurately? An arm that can do both?
The design you use is up to you, but your contraption must contain a lever, a motor, and a touch sensor to start the motor. The motor may be used to power the arm directly or to prepare it. For example, you could use the motor to wind a rubber band, which you would then release to activate the arm.
There will be contests for distance and for accuracy. You may choose to enter either or both of the contests. For each contest, the ball must start behind the tape line. However, the EV3 itself may be in front of the line. You may place the pitching arm however you wish, as long as the part holding the ball is behind the line.
Distance scoring: The distance will be measured from the starting line to the spot where the ball first hits the ground. You will get three tries; the best score of the three will count.
Accuracy scoring: The accuracy target will consist of a cup glued to a plate. Throwing the ball into the inner cup earns three points. Touching the inner cup earns two points. Throwing into the outer plate earns one point. You will get three throws; your accuracy score is the cumulative score for the three throws.
1. List the greatest distance your arm threw, if you entered the distance contest.
2. List your accuracy score, if you entered the accuracy contest.
3. Describe a success you had in building your arm.
4. Describe a difficulty you encountered in building your arm.
5. Make a sketch of your pitching arm. Tell whether it is a first, second, or third class lever. Identify the fulcrum, load (output force), and effort force (input force).
6. Some levers are used to magnify the force. In this case, that would mean that the input force is less than the weight of the ball. Other levers are used to magnify the distance that the load (the ball, in this case) moves. Which type of lever did you build, one that magnifies force or one that magnifies distance?
Code Files Developed in Workshop
#This code is the starting code to make a large motor eject a ball and return to the starting position. It can be amended to allow for the ultrasonic sensor to "find the target" before ejecting the ball forward.
The lesson can focus on the engineering design process in the build, then allow students to add to the existing code, or students can program the robot themselves based on their knowledge of code. If the focus of the lesson happens to be on levers alone, or levers plus data collection and analysis, the robot could be pre-built and code pre-written so the students can focus on the data collection.
Picture and Video
#Notice the robot has a small motor which can spin the arm and the ultrasonic sensor also attached, but neither are used in the video demonstration or the program. More advanced students can program the ultrasonic sensor to scan the area, turning around in an arc left and right, until it "sees" the target, which will then activate the throwing motion. Lower level students can collect data by changing the arm (large motor) speed within the program to change the trajectory of the ball. They can also use the program as-is, and vary the ball type used.
Example Data: