Project criteria is as follows:
Design something, using the Hummingbird robotics kit and any materials found in class or otherwise acquired, that senses the environment, analyzes the data, and reacts in some manner (sound, movement, lights). The process is Sense, Think, Act. Students work in pairs or individually to develop the code, make all necessary connections, build and test the project.
I believe that going through projects #1 (simple circuit) and #2 (automata) has helped to prepare students for this current project. They've had experience in working with LEDs, motors, switches, power, as well as exploring the way parts interact and move. Students therefore approach the robotics unit with more background knowledge and skills than groups in the past. To add to the knowledge and skills, there is a certain level of fearlessness that they have grown accustomed to, given their ability to try things out in the previous two projects, make adjustments, make mistakes, and make improvements.
In terms of process, having students go through the design, build, iterate process for each project provides a good deal of necessary practice. In a sense, therefore, the process itself has gone through its own iterations. My ultimate hope is that they take all of this experience into their personal projects. Below are some short clips of students at work.
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