Unit 2: Compount Machines and Robotics

Hello again, Everybody!

Glad to see you back.

In the last unit, we learned about simple machines.

In this unit, we will be looking at compound machines, and how they interact with each other to perform some of the more complex tasks that we typically think of when we think of how cool Robots are.




For this unit I want everyone to:
1) start by going over the basic information on compound machines, then I want you all to
2) look at the robot parts (directions below), and then
3) watch the videos on "What Is a Robot?" and answer the question in the comments, and then
4) play the games for your level (or both levels if you like to have fun playing computer games), and
5) do the bonus challenge by looking into the EDC and/or FIRST links below.

Compound (sometimes called Complex) Machines

Let's start by thinking about what compound machines are, and what they might look like in daily life. Look at the image below to get some ideas.

Click here for a Larger Version of the Poster

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 Here's another set of examples of simple machines combined with each other to create common compound machines in our everyday lives. Be sure to look at (and think about) where the load is applied for each of the compound machines, and how changing the location of the load (or force)  changes the way the machine functions:

Click here to view a larger version of these posters!

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Now let's look at some images of robot parts, and see if we can identify how the simple machines are combined to perform different functions. Notice how the even the different placement of the same simple machines yields drastically different results. It's all about good design getting the job done!

*Pro Tip: Don't spend too much time thinking about how the robots are powered or programmed--we'll get to that later!--just try to see which parts of the robots move, and try to figure out which directions those parts move in.  For instance, does the leg or arm move in a circle (like your arm at the shoulder) or does it move forward and backward (like a train on a track), or does it swing like the hinge on a door (or like your knee)?

Some Examples:

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I could really spend all day looking at pictures of different kinds of robots, trying to figure out how they work (and I bet you could, too!) but I think you'll have more fun if you spend some time looking up different types of robots on your own. Spend a little bit of time this week looking at robot images, it doesn't matter if they are real, working robots or if they are drawings or even toys. Just try to find the levers, pulleys, wheels and axles, inclined places and screws and think about how they work together to do awesome things.

So what is a robot?

Here's the dictionary definition:

noun: robot; plural noun: robots

1. 1.

   a machine capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically, especially one programmable by a computer.

   "half of all American robots are making cars or trucks"

   synonyms:

   automaton, android, machine, golem; More informalbot, droid

Watch these videos, and then tell us what a "robot" is to YOU in the comments below:

A robot doesn't HAVE to look like a person, in fact, many don't. Robots can also be made out of almost anything, as long as it has a power source, motion, and carries out some kind of task. In this video, the only task these kids require of their "bots" is that they move. Still, it looks like a lot of fun, and I wouldn't mind playing with one these little things! :)

PBS Kids Design Squad: Bristle Bots

Level 1

Try this game!  EdHeads "The Compound Machine"


Then, try this game, too! Design Squad Fidget Factory


Level 2

Test your understanding of compound machines and how they interact with one another by looking at some of Leonardo's Mystery Machines! Can you figure out how they work?


Surprisingly difficult puzzle/maze game: Build a Toy
How far can you get?

Play NASA's ROVER control game

 Bonus Challenges!!!

Image Credit: 

NASA

1) NASA Launches Exploration Design Challenge

Sept 4, 2013

NASA unveiled an Exploration Design Challenge on March 11, 2013, to give students from kindergarten through 12th grade the opportunity to play a unique role in the future of human spaceflight. The innovative educational opportunity was announced in a special event at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Read more about the EDC by clicking here ...

2) FIRST - For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology

FIRST was founded in 1989 to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology. Based in Manchester, NH, the 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit public charity designs accessible, innovative programs that motivate young people to pursue education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math, while building self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills.

To learn more about FIRST programs you might want to get involved in, click here

Registration Form

Hello again!

It was lovely to meet so many of you at Park Day today. :)

Please take a minute to fill out one of these forms for each child participating.

After you complete the form, a box will pop up that let's you know it's been submitted,
and give you the option of editing your responses or submitting another form. If you have
then one child participating, just keep submitting forms until you go down the whole list.

I really appreciate you guys doing this to help me keep track of everyone.

There has been a lot of interest, but I am still not sure how many people are going to
be participating in the final build. Remember, you don't have to build with us, you can
just hang out and observe if you wish. :)

This workshop is open to children ages 6-60!

Unit 1: Simple Machines

Hello again, everyone!

There's a LOT here. Don't let it overwhelm you. It's NO BIG DEAL. :-) 

The best way to use these units will be to scroll through the whole page, skimming the content as you go so that you get a good idea of what's on the page. Then you can go back and read through more thoroughly, after you have a better idea of what the whole unit looks like. (After all, some things might not apply to you, but then again, you might want to pay extra attention to SOME parts in case you want to tackle the BONUS CHALLENGES for bragging rights later. ;-)

Also, if your family experiences any technical issues (videos won't load because of a slow internet connection, etc.) Please let me know and I will do my best to help you find a solution to the problem. 

Each unit is intended to require about an hour a week, but you don't have to do that all in one sitting. If you are a fast reader, or if you pay close attention, you will probably be able to finish the units in less than an hour. There won't be any tests, there are no grades, so take your time and have fun getting acquainted with the material. You don't have to memorize it unless you want to get a really firm grip on this stuff so you can really rock it on build day--and in future scientific adventures!

Something else to keep in mind is that all students are at different levels, so some students who are interested and like having fun with the videos and games can feel free to do ALL the activities. It certainly won't hurt anything! In fact, if they find any OTHER cool games on the same subject, they are free to leave links to them in the comments as well! (Note to Parents: I will approve all comments before they are posted online, for safety and appropriateness.)

For those kids who do not have any fun at all with this material, there will be minimum requirements listed--be aware though, that those kids who do the very least they can do won't get as much enjoyment out of the actual build, and they certainly won't understand robots as well as the others. 


SO...let's get started!!!

What are simple machines?

Simple machines are tools that we use to make work easier. The scientific definition of work is  expressed as:

Work = Force * Distance


Don't worry about that too much right now. We'll cover it more later as we need to. For right now, take a quick glance at the list of simple machines provided below (Courtesy of The Franklin Institute Resources for Science Learning):

A machine is a tool used to make work easier. Simple machines are simple tools used to make work easier. Compound machines have two or more simple machines working together to make work easier. In science, work is defined as a force acting on an object to move it across a distance. Pushing, pulling, and lifting are common forms of work. Furniture movers do work when they move boxes. Gardeners do work when they pull weeds. Children do work when they go up and down on a see-saw. Machines make their work easier. The furniture movers use a ramp to slide boxes into a truck. The gardeners use a hand shovel to help break through the weeds. The children use a see-saw to go up and down. The ramp, the shovel, and the see-saw are simple machines.
	Inclined Plane A plane is a flat surface. For example, a smooth board is a plane. Now, if the plane is lying flat on the ground, it isn't likely to help you do work. However, when that plane is inclined, or slanted, it can help you move objects across distances. And, that's work! A common inclined plane is a ramp. Lifting a heavy box onto a loading dock is much easier if you slide the box up a ramp--a simple machine. Want to know more? Here's extra information.
	Wedge Instead of using the smooth side of the inclined plane, you can also use the pointed edges to do other kinds of work. For example, you can use the edge to push things apart. Then, the inclined plane is a wedge. So, a wedge is actually a kind of inclined plane. An axeblade is a wedge. Think of the edge of the blade. It's the edge of a smooth slanted surface. That's a wedge! Want to know more? Here's extra information.
	Screw Now, take an inclined plane and wrap it around a cylinder. Its sharp edge becomes another simple tool: the screw. Put a metal screw beside a ramp and it's kind of hard to see the similarities, but the screw is actually just another kind of inclined plane. Try this demonstration to help you visualize. How does the screw help you do work? Every turn of a metal screw helps you move a piece of metal through a wooden space. And, that's how we build things! Want to know more? Here's extra information
	Lever Try pulling a really stubborn weed out of the ground. You know, a deep, persistent weed that seems to have taken over your flowerbed. Using just your bare hands, it might be difficult or even painful. With a tool, like a hand shovel, however, you should win the battle. Any tool that pries something loose is a lever. A lever is an arm that "pivots" (or turns) against a "fulcrum" (or point). Think of the claw end of a hammer that you use to pry nails loose. It's a lever. It's a curved arm that rests against a point on a surface. As you rotate the curved arm, it pries the nail loose from the surface. And that's hard work!
	Wheel and Axle The rotation of the lever against a point pries objects loose. That rotation motion can also do other kinds of work. Another kind of lever, the wheel and axle, moves objects across distances. The wheel, the round end, turns the axle, the cylindrical post, causing movement. On a wagon, for example, the bucket rests on top of the axle. As the wheel rotates the axle, the wagon moves. Now, place your pet dog in the bucket, and you can easily move him around the yard. On a truck, for example, the cargo hold rests on top of several axles. As the wheels rotate the axles, the truck moves.
	Pulley Instead of an axle, the wheel could also rotate a rope or cord. This variation of the wheel and axle is the pulley. In a pulley, a cord wraps around a wheel. As the wheel rotates, the cord moves in either direction. Now, attach a hook to the cord, and you can use the wheel's rotation to raise and lower objects. On a flagpole, for example, a rope is attached to a pulley. On the rope, there are usually two hooks. The cord rotates around the pulley and lowers the hooks where you can attach the flag. Then, rotate the cord and the flag raises high on the pole.
If two or more simple machines work together as one, they form a compound machine. Most of the machines we use today are compound machines, created by combining several simple machines. Can you think of creative ways to combine simple machines to make work easier? Think about it.
For more information about simple machines, try browsing these selected websites. The Elements of Machines: Simple Machines Exploring Leonardo Homepage Simple Machines Activities

Why study them...What do they have to do with robots?

Simple machines are the most basic building blocks we use to make it easier to do work. By combining simple machines with each other, we create compound machines. By combining compound machines together, and giving them a power source...we can build ROBOTS!

But, in order to understand how to build robots that actually do what we want them to do, we need to understand how the different parts interact with each other and where and how to apply the force we need to do the right kind of work.


Unit 1 Activities:

Level 1

All Level 1 kids should start by watch this video. It's about 23 minutes long, and it's a great introduction to simple machines from Bill Nye: The Science Guy.

 Play this fun matching game from neoK12: Simple Machines Matching Game


Then play this game to see how many every day objects you find in the house that
can identify as simple machines: Simple Machines in Daily Life

Start with the house first, and if you can find all the simple machines in the House, go to the BONUS CHALLENGES section and do the Tool Shed Challenge!

Level 2

Most of the Level 2 kids should have already covered simple machines in their regular course work. If they haven't, no big deal--we'll cover it now! :-)

If you haven't covered simple machines, or if it's been a while and you just need a refresher, watching the Level 1 Bill Bye video and reading through the list above should be enough to familiarize you with the types and uses of simple machines.

Then go play this fun little game from the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry:
Twitch and Simple Machines

If you are interested in learning a little bit more Physics (just a little, but enough to give you a deeper understanding of the application of force and distance to make work easier using simple machines) then I found some old, but still short and pretty fun little retro videos for the older kids. Each of these is less than 5 minutes, and they really are RETRO...like, The Jetsons, THAT Retro. I got a good chuckle out of them but they really are very helpful and quickly give a slightly more advanced explanation.

1) The Inclined Plane

2) Lever

3) Mechanical Advantage and Friction

4) The Screw and The Wheel

5) Pulley

6) What is Work?



BONUS CHALLENGES
 
If you take on one of the challenges, be sure to chime in, in the comments section here, and share pictures or a short write-up of what you achieved.

Remember--it's not bragging if it's true! :-)

NUMBER 1--Both Levels:

Watch this video for a Citroen C4 advertisement and see how many simple machines you can identify in the dancing robot: Citroen C4

NUMBER 2--Level 1:
After finishing all 4 rooms of the House activity, go to the Tool Shed for a challenge to discover some compound machines. Compound machines are simple machines that are combined with other simple machines to do more work. 

Number 3--Level 2:
Try to build a very small Rube Goldberg Machine that uses at least 3 of  the 6 simple machine types. 
Try to make something that fits on a table top and uses items you find around the house (e.g. pencils, rubber bands, paper clips, toilet paper tubes, etc.)


REMEMBER TO HAVE FUN.
That's it for this week! I look forward to hearing from you throughout the week.

Adios, Muchachos!

Overview of Units

Hello again!

There will be 7 Units for this course. Each unit will be "open" for 1 week to give everyone plenty of time to complete the activities and provide the necessary feedback or ask questions. The names of the units should give you a good idea of what will be covered in them, and as the units are opened I will provide much more detail about the topics and--more importantly--the purpose of examining each of these subjects before we dive in to a build.

Unit 1: Simple Machines

Unit 2: Compound Machines and Robotics

Unit 3: History of Robotics

Unit 4: Modern Robots

Unit 5: How Do Robots Work?

Unit 6: Common Robot Parts, Programs and Functions

Unit 7: Robots, the Future and You

Welcome to the robot jungle!

This site began when I decided to teach my son, Miles, the basics of robotics.

Having recently joined a home-school group, I wanted to open it up as a workshop for other kids who might be interested, too. Because really--who doesn't like robots?!?:)

The course will cover a brief outline of typical parts and software commonly used in robotics, brief overview of the history of robotics and computers, and even some basic algebra, kid-friendly physics and good design basics before we actually get to the build.

The "work" part of workshop will consist of a series of weekly units leading up to building an actual working robot at the end of the course. Each unit will have it's own set of online games and activities that workshop participants can use to get ready for the 'hands-on" bit at the end. Students will be responsible for playing the games...I mean, completing the assignments, on their own. These won't be graded, of course, but it is important that everyone have fun...I mean, learn the basics, so they will be ready and can get the most out of the experience when the time comes.

There will be two levels to the games and activities...I mean, course work. There will be Level 1 for ages 6-9, and Level 2 for ages 10 and up. The level coincide with the levels on the kit, and each kid will get to pick which bot from the kit they want to build on build day. Go check it out, watch the video and get ready to have fun!

Click here to learn more about the 14 in 1 SOLAR POWERED Robot!!!

Be sure to sign up for "follow via email" so that you get a notification when the new units are made available! (Upper right of the page)

The first unit will be posted tomorrow--SPOILER ALERT! It's going to be about "simple machines."