Robotics
Lego NXT Mindstorms
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Robotics Introduction
 What is a Robot?
What are examples of a robot?
What can robots do?
What can’t robots do?
How are robots used in our daily lives?
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Introductions
• Write five interesting things
about you.
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Introductions
• How is teamwork important in
designing and building robots?
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Definition of a Robot
 What is a Robot?
A robot is a device
that is built to
independently perform
actions and interact
with its surroundings.
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Watch Video Clips
 After watching the video clips…
Which of the clips showed actual
“robots?”
Explain the difference between a robot
and a remote controlled machine/toy
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 1 - Agenda
Reflection discussion
Complete Robot Educator – Common Palette
Activity .01 & .02
Start building Tri-Bot
Robot Educator – Common Palette Activity .03
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 2 - Reflection
 How are robots used in our daily lives?
What is possible with a Robot?
What are some unexpected Robots?
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 2 - Agenda
Reflection discussion
Come up with a team and bot name and
make poster for team
Finish building Tri-Bot
Robot Educator – Common Palette Activity .03
Introduce basic programming
Work on Programming
Common Palette Activity .03 – Building
Drive forward
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 2 – Drive Forward
Challenge
1. Drive forward 17 cm.
2. Drive forward for 2 rotations and record
the distance traveled in your journal
3. Drive forward in a straight line for 100 cm.
turn 1800 and drive forward in a straight
line 100 cm.
4. Drive in a square on the practice mat
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 3 - Reflection
In what ways do robots need to
interact with their surroundings?
Give specific examples of a robot and
the type of movement or sensors it will
need.
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Movement
 Define Types of movement:
Locomotion – The ability to move from
place to place (move from place to place)
Localization – To perform functions in a
specific area (turn head)
Manipulation – To touch or move by
mechanical means (move other things around)
Cooperation - To work together
(two motors working together for movement)
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 3 - Agenda
Reflection discussion
Definitions of types of movement
Watch “Robo Cup Dog Soccer” identify each
type of movement
Finish Drive Forward Challenge
Start Bump and Run Challenge
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Drive Forward Challenge
1. Drive forward 17 cm.
2. Drive forward for 2 rotations and record
the distance traveled in your journal
3. Drive forward in a straight line for 100 cm.
turn 1800 and drive forward in a straight
line 100 cm.
4. Drive in a square on the practice mat
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
14
Bump and Run Challenge
Attach a touch sensor to your Bot
(pgs 49-53 in large book)
Program the touch sensor
Write a program for ‘Bump and Run’
using the ‘Loop’ block, where robots
must run down a corridor, bump into a
wall, and return to the start.
Bump & Run Races
 Have groups which complete this extend the program by
putting a ‘Forever’ loop around the previous program to make
the robot continuously go back and forth between two walls.
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 4 - Reflection
In real life why is it important to be
specific when giving directions?
Write down the step by step
directions of how to fold a paper
airplane.
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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What do we need
the robot to do?
 Moving: The robot must be able to control
some set of actuators to move how and when
we want it to. We must be able to reliably
place the robot anywhere we want.
 Sensing: The robot must be able to perceive
its environment through sensors locate
obstacles to avoid, and objects of interest
that we want it to interact with.
 Plan/Act: The robot must be able to make
decisions using its processor based on it’s
sensors and feed them to it’s actuators to be
able to move.
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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What is a sensor?
 Takes readings from physical
environment and turns it into an
electrical message/signal
Sensors we will work with:
Touch- hit something and it react
Light- can sort by color or detect light
from dark
Sonar/ultrasonic- tells how far away
things are
Sound- tells how loud something is
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What is a processor?
It is the logic circuitry that
responds to and processes the basic
instructions that drive a computer.
A computer needs to be able to:
Receive inputs from the sensors, and
convert the sensor readings into
perceptions
Make decisions based on it’s perceptions
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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What is a processor?
Continued
Use these decisions to change its
environment (or move itself in the
environment) using its actuators.
Each of the previous three things is
programmed by the user using a
programming language.
Takes readings from physical
environment and turns it into an
electrical message/signal Touch- hit
something and it react
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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What is an actuator?
Takes electrical message and turns it
into a physical action. For example:
Electric motors receive electricity
which makes their axles turn. These can
be connected to wheels, which can make
the robot move
Pumps receive electricity which makes
them compress liquid through tubes
which can make a robotic arm move
around. This arm can push, pull, and lift
things in the world.
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 4 – Instruction
Understand loops exit with an “until”
statement
Understand programming of the
touch sensor
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 4 - Agenda
Discussion/Reflection
Giving clear directions – Paper Airplane
Definitions of parts of a robot
Programming with loops
Bump and Run Challenge & Races
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Bump and Run Challenge
Attach a touch sensor to your Bot
(pgs 49-53 in large book)
Program the touch sensor
Write a program for ‘Bump and Run’
using the ‘Loop’ block, where robots
must run down a corridor, bump into a
wall, and return to the start.
Bump & Run Races
 Have groups which complete this extend the program by
putting a ‘Forever’ loop around the previous program to make
the robot continuously go back and forth between two walls.
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
25
Detect and Run Challenge
Groups that finish the bump and run
quickly can do a “Detect and Run”
challenge
Attach the ultra sonic sensor to your Bot
Program the ultra sonic sensor
Write a program for “Detect and Run”
using the Loop block, where robots must
run down a corridor, detect the wall, and
return to the start.
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 5 - Reflection
Read the Time for Kids article –
“Robots at Work”
How are robots helping people?
How are robots entertaining people?
Which robot in the article would you
like to have?
What kind of task would you like to
see a robot created for?
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 5 - Agenda
Article Discussion/Reflection
Finish Challenges
Go Forward
Bump and Run
Detect and Run
Begin building and programming for maze
completion
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Ultra Sonic Sensor
Ultra Sonic sensor sends out a high
frequency chirp from one circle and
the sound wave bounces off an object
and returns to the microphone in the
other circle.
Because sound travels at a constant
speed ~1,125 ft/s the processor can
calculate the distance the sensor is
from an object and respond based on
the programming.
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Ultra Sonic Sensor
In what situations might an Ultra
Sonic sensor fail?
Far away
Angle
Absorbency
Multiple surfaces
Multiple signals
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Writing a Program
In your journal write out the program
directions for your Bot to make it
through the maze using the touch
sensor, the ultra sonic sensor and
loops.
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
31
Maze Completion Challenge
Look at the maze carefully and
consider what sensors will help your
bot complete the maze
Design your bot for the maze challenge
Program your bot for the maze
challenge
Your bot will be scored for accuracy
and the amount of time it takes for
your bot to complete the maze
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 6 - Reflection
What have you learned about the
following things:
What is a robot (in your own words)
Building a robot
Programming a robot
What parts do robots need?
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 6 - Agenda
Discussion/Reflection
Time Trials – Maze Challenge
Adding Grabber Arms & Light/Dark Sensor
Program Bot to follow a line and grab ball at
the end of the line, turn right 90 degrees
and drop the ball.
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 7 - Reflection
Read the article “Robots on the job:
List each robot in the article
What is one capability of each robot?
What is one challenge for each robot
Which of the robots do you feel
would be most useful? Why?
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 7 - Agenda
Discussion/Reflection
Finish Time Trials – Maze Challenge
Adding Grabber Arms & Light/Dark Sensor
Program Bot to follow a line and grab ball at
the end of the line, turn right 90 degrees
and drop the ball.
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 9 - Reflection
What is my team doing well?
What does my team need to work on?
How can I be a better teammate?
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 10 – Group Activity
Watch Search & Rescue Video Clip
What do the robots need to be able
to perform these functions?
Write directions for your teammates
to perform a search and rescue
mission of a treasure of your choice.
Include sensors and loops:
Use “until”
Use touch sensors
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Search & Rescue Challenge
Build and Program a bot to move
around the white mat randomly until
an item is detected by the touch or
ultra sonic sensor. Then the bot needs
to pick up the item with the grabber
arms and move it to “safety” off the
white mat.
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 11 – Reflection
What has your team done well?
What does your team need to work on?
In what ways have you personally
contributed to helping your team be
successful?
What do you do that might get in the
way of your team working together
successfully?
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
40
Day 11 – Reflection
What goals do you have for the
remainder of the program?
What will you do to work better as a
team?
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
41
Search & Rescue Challenge
Build and Program a bot to move
around the white mat randomly until
an item is detected by the touch or
ultra sonic sensor. Then the bot needs
to pick up the item with the grabber
arms and move it to “safety” off the
white mat.
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
42
Day 12 – Reflection
Should Robots look like humans or
should they look like machines?
Why does it matter?
Read “Why, Robots?”
What did you find interesting about
the article?
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 13 – Reflection
What cool things do you think you
could create with your LEGO NXT kit?
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 14 – Reflection
What recommendations do you have
for building a bot that will do well in
the Sumo Challenge?
What should be avoided?
What programming suggestions do you
have?
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Sumo Challenge
Build and Program a bot to move
around the competition area until it
detects another bot. Then have your
bot push, shove or tip over the other
bot. The loser of the challenge is the
first bot to be tipped over or moved
outside competition arena.
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Sumo Challenge
What should the rules and
expectations be for the Sumo
Challenge?
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Sumo Challenge Rules and Expectations
 Play fairly / good sportsmanship
 Be calm / no smack talk
 No death bots/no destructive bots
 Once the battle starts no additional changes/repairs
 No touching the other teams robots
 20 lock = Draw
 If both bots move off the mat without contact = Draw
 Both robots move off mat at the same time = draw
 No more then 2 bots on the mat at a time
 No people on the mat during the battle
 Once there is a winner stop the battle
 Battle Limit = 2 minutes
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 15 – Reflection
Introduce Green City Challenge
Parent Invitation to
Robotics Showcase
Wednesday, July 20th @ 12:30
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 15 - Agenda
Discussion/Reflection
Green City Challenge
Design, Build and Program a bot to complete
each of the green city challenges
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 16 – Reflection
Which of the Green City Challenges do
you think will be the most challenging?
What do you think is more challenging?
Completing the Green City Challenges
or designing your own bot to complete
a task
Parent Invitation to
Robotics Showcase
Wednesday, July 20th @ 12:30
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 16 - Agenda
Discussion/Reflection
Plan for Green City Challenge/Final Projects
Begin working
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 17 - Agenda
What is your plan for the final project?
What will you talk about to the observers?
Plan for Final Projects
Begin working on Final Project
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 18 – Reflection
What is your Final Project designed
to do?
How can you prove it is a Robot and
not a remote controlled machine?
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 18 – Reflection
What challenges have we completed?
What did you learn from each
challenge?
What have you learned about
teamwork?
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 18 – Reflection
What is your Final Project designed
to do?
How can you prove it is a Robot and
not a remote controlled machine?
What have you learned in this class?
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 18 – Challenges
Go Forward – Specific Distance – Square (CJ)
Bump and Run (Michael)
Detect and Run (Kevin)
Maze (Callum)
Line Follow (ball detect pick up and drop)
(Kenny)
Search and Rescue (Nicholas)
Sumo Challenge (Omar)
Green City (Jared)
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 18 – Showcase
Welcome Guests
What a robot is, what a robot
is not and what the parts of a
robot are (Max)
Challenge Explanations (Students)
Final Projects
Learning Reflections
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 19 – Reflection
What have you learned about robots
and programming?
What has been the biggest challenge
for you?
What has been the biggest challenge
for your group?
Created by Emily RCG Williams for the South Pasadena Education Foundation
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Day 20 - Agenda
Discussion/Reflection
Inventory
Watch Iron Giant
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