Summer SAVY, Session 5 Day 5, Programming and Robotics (3rd-4th)
Today was our “Invention Convention!” Each team was invited to revisit a previous project or create a new project from scratch. They were challenged to use their teamwork strategies to plan, build, program, test, and iterate a project of their choice using the engineering design process. Then, they were asked to create a compelling sales presentation to pitch their potential “investors” (classmates).
We had some wonderful projects that rolled including the Smart Bike which used an ultrasonic sensor to stop, the Rad Cycle which was programmed to move in a forever loop, the Play Spinner which was programmed to move like a robot vacuum, and the “Shoe Car for Timmy” which used variable coding blocks. We had security devices: the Secret Safe (“Safe enough for the Mona Lisa”) and the Super Safe Deposit box (“Safe enough to keep burglars out and burgers in”). One team created a CNC-inspired drawing machine with a very humorous sales pitch (a la The Play That Goes Wrong) and another created a Dragon toy, whose designer asked, “Are you ready to heat it up with the Dragon?” It was a pleasure watching our class take an idea and see it to fruition.
Dinner table questions: What are some other projects your team considered? If you had one more motor or sensor, how might you have used it to improve your build? If you had another day to work on your project, how would you have improved it? What would you have added to the code? Other than your own, which projects did you find most interesting? Most useful?
Best wishes to all of our campers! They were a delightful, funny, talented, creative group and I thoroughly enjoyed our time together this week! Keep building, coding, and exploring. Good luck with future group projects – use those strategies!