Easy Lego Robotics Starting Point-Mayan Adventure Book

For those that want to get started with a group interested in Lego Robotics and aren't too sure about the competition thing, start with this book! The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT: The Mayan Adventure (Technology in Action) book by James Floyd Kelly (Paperback - Dec 11, 2006) is great. Local bookstore are likely to carry it as well, so check. Once through the book, I'm sure you'll want to try the competition thing too.

The author, James Kelly rotates between a chapter about a boy on a Mayan dig who uses his robot to solve problems, and then chapters on building and programming. Each new adventure requires a new robot. the book can be used to cut across a number of content areas. Brilliantly done.

Curriculum-lessons plans for science & math with robotics

Please send other links, especially those with further lesson plans for various subject areas.

Planning/development resources:

• Minnesota High School Robotics (MN HSR)
• Using Lego Robotics in a Project-Based Learning Environment
• http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/classroom/
• Using Lego to integrate Mathematics and Science in an Outcomes Based Syllabus (from 3rd through high school), pdf file
• Center for Engineering Educational Outreach-Tufts University
• RoboLab Links
• Lego Mindstorms products and resources
• LUGNet Forums-Robotics
• Gasperi's Sensor Input Page
  
• Lego's robotics resource page

Lesson plans/curriculum

• Lego Mindstorms for 5th Grade (math, science, language arts)
• Robot Algebra Project: preAlgebra 8th grade, 9th grade algebra (almost 30 warm up exercises)

Middle School

• Robotics Engineering Vo. I: Introduction to Mobile Robotics (math/science focus)
  
• Robotics Engineering Vo. I: Guided Research (Engineering focus)

High School

• 21st Century Skills and Specialization

Remote Control-the robotics model

Click the picture for a bigger view.

One of the finest efforts to date in applied mathematics and science continues with the superb engineering effort that manages the team of robots on Mars. It reminds us that our classrooms are really much bigger than the space in which we sit. See the silent 1:34 min video clip of images taken by the Spirit robot. The great classroom materials that can connect students with this major STEM agenda can be found at: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/classroom/

Authenticity and relevance to classroom learning comes from the real world around us. NASA's Mars team provides an interesting model by which areas beyond the immediate observation of people in a classroom can be used for exploration and experimentation. Some examples would include: animal studies, microscope experiments, assistance in measuring and collecting data on public initiatives (cleaning up streams and the air), home management and agriculture. What others comes to mind? 

Several communication technologies are readily available for bridging the remote distance between a classroom computer and a remote robot, including Blue Tooth (short distance), wi-fi (up to a couple of miles with advanced tools) and cell phones (real long distance). Other robotics design in addition to Lego Robotics are available, such as Vex designs and Vex competitions (youtube scenes). But the curriculum development work and the lesson plans are in early stages of development and maturation. Opportunity for innovative teacher leadership awaits.

BigDog - and other robot critters

This link from the Boston Dynamics web site of its BigDog robot comes my way from Monty Fuchs, Director of Technology for Buncombe County Schools. See the great movies this critter in action climbing hills and recovering from pushes and slips on ice. Amazing video clip.
http://www.bostondynamics.com/content/sec.php?section=BigDog

Unfortunately, when not tethered to an electrical umbilical cord, it won't run on solar power.

Here's are links to other robot variations: LittleDog, RiSE, and RHex. I wonder what LittleDog's power source is?

Special Southeast Lego Site

Great resources and ordering can be found at the web site of Kristie Brown, Educational Consultant for Lego Education in the SouthEast (Georgia, and North and South Carolina.

http://www.legoedsoutheast.com/

RobotCup Curriculum

RoboCup uses soccer as the problem field on which a variety of hardware and software technologies are challenged and integrated. The problem goal is to beat a world champion soccer team by the year 2050. http://www.robocup.org/


As of July 24, 07, CNN has a short videoclip on the RoboCup dog from Sony.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/tech/2007/07/24/chown.robotic.dogs.explainer.cnn

The $75 Robot-Scribbler

Where the Lego Robot costs around $250, Scribbler is close to $75 and comes preassembled with: three light sensors; a pair of infrared line sensors that could read bar code or follow lines; a contact-bumper sensor; 2 independent motors for the two wheels with stall sensors to protect the motor; 3 programmable LED lights; a speaker which plays a wide range of sounds and notes; a Pen Port for drawing as it drives,; and a port of a serial cable computer interface. effective enough for running obstacles courses. About the size of a frisbee, it is fairly light, about the weight of a pint of milk.

It's programming interface looks similar in style to Lego's programming editor. For more, see http://www.scribblerrobot.com The related curriculum effort is supported by the Institute for Personal Robots in Education (IPRE) is a joint venture of Bryn Mawr, Georgia Tech and Microsoft Research whose goal is to increase student enrollment — particularly of women and underrepresented minorities — in computer science. Microsoft is investing over $1 million to get curriculum developed and into classrooms more quickly.

Combining Lego Robotics activities with the much more affordable Scribbler may be just the thing to enable entire classes to be working in pairs or each with their own robot. A next step for IPRE will be the development of a less expensive robot that has even more features including a camera. They have also created documentation for how to add Bluetooth communication to Scribbler for further levels of interaction.

Leave a comment if you come across some robust curriculum that builds across STEM competencies and goes beyond the Scribbler Startup Guide.