One hour LEGO NXT workshop - domobot
Remember to take good pictures. Examples can be found here: http://coweb.cc.gatech.edu/ice-gt/2242.
Ages: 4th grade through high school
Equipment: laptop and robot kit for half the number of students (we usually have them work in groups of 2-3 people). Build the domobot http://www.damienkee.com/home/2011/8/20/domabot-classroom-robot-design.html and attach the left motor to port B and the right motor to port C. Be sure to include the cord that connects the brick to the computer for programming.
Materials: Blue painters tape to use to create courses, white foam core board (if the carpet is bumpy).
Resources: http://www.dotdiva.org/profiles/angelica.html
Wireless issues- call 404-478-7310 for any problems with Wandering Wi-Fi
We don't do pre and post surveys with 1 hour workshops. But, be sure to take good pictures and movies. See How to take good pictures at our ICE events for more details.
5 minutes: Introduce the workers and have each person say what she or he likes about computing. Show http://www.dotdiva.org/profiles/angelica.html Explain that robots perform surgery, work in hostile environments, and much more. Robotics is a growing and interesting field.
10 minutes: Show the girls the LEGO NXT software and how to use the robot educator common palette on the right hand side. Walk through creating a program and doing the first challenge and how to download the program and run it. Have them work through the first 7 challenges (just the programming part). Then ask them to program the robot to go through a simple course on the floor outlined in blue painters tape. The course should be wide enough for the girls to walk through. Have some simple courses (with a straight part and a turn and a straight part) and some more complicated ones (like a big M). See https://picasaweb.google.com/110718093908238019538/DadAndMeIGirlScoutWorkshop2008?authkey=Gv1sRgCM7esciJ9J71eQ#5598482839688386434 for an example.
40 minutes: Let the girls try to program the robots to get through the courses. If they get stuck encourage them to walk the course and be the robot. Encourage them to change the amount of time that a block runs rather than use lots of identical blocks to go forward. If any girls get done with all of the courses or have prior experience have them try to make a robot dance. See http://coweb.cc.gatech.edu/ice-gt/1362.
5 minutes: Show some cool videos of robots - flea robot - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b4ZZQkcNEo, Nao, the humanoid robot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgEFC8Eb6i4 or Naos dancing to Thriller http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHJf365p_zw and Asimo http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/videos/robots/asimorobot.html. This is a video of a robot that can diffuse a bomb http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504803_162-57560535-10391709/scott-pelley-meet-robo-sally/
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