Introduction to Touch Sensors and Basic Electronics
Concepts taught:
Human
Senses
What is
a Robot
(S-P-A)
Electronic
Control
Touch
Sensors and Basic Electronics
Electric
current
Controlling
Current
Electromagnetic
Spectrum
Digital
Feedback
Analog
Feedback
Logical
Thinking
Programming
Concepts
Conditional statements
Wait states
Control loops
Resources:
Sensors PowerPoint
Presentations
Touch Sensor
Building Instructions
Touch
Sensor Worksheet 1 and Touch Sensor Worksheet
1 Solution
Touch Sensor Worksheet
2 with Solution
Teachers will:
Review Sense-Plan-Act (SPA) concept with the class.
Prepare a lesson contrasting the 5 human senses to how
robots interpret what’s in their environment
Demonstrate the difference between analog and digital
feedback.
Build and attach a touch sensor to tankbot,
and demonstrate how the touch sensor works. Here are several examples of programs using touch sensors.
Students will:
Review S-P-A
Participate in a teacher led discussion on how robots use
sensors to learn about their environment.
Participate in a teacher led discussion on touch sensors.
Design a touch sensor and attach it to tankbot.
Complete a teacher assigned challenge involving programming
and touch sensors.
Activities:
Using teacher-supplied instructions, build a bumper for
Tankbot that uses a touch sensor.
Program Tankbot with the touch sensor bumper to backup and
turn around when it has run into something.
Write a program that lets you control Tankbot using touch
sensors as a remote control.
Use
touch sensors in conjunction with wait-for statements, program control loops,
and touch sensor conditional statements to control design an autonomous robot.
Evaluation:
Class Participation
Teacher Observation
Completion of Touch Sensor Bumper
Successful completion of programming exercises
Complete one of the following teacher assigned activities: