Today was the last day of our Summer Robotics 4 camp. We built the EdPrinter and boy was it a challenge! There were 4 kids in the class that were able to do it mostly independently. Once they were done they were able to assist me in helping everyone else get the build completed. The instructions were challenging and it was confusing about how to put the pieces together.
Once we got it built we had a discussion about the coding software Python and I showed the group the 2.5 pages of code written for the robot to draw a rectangle. Of course, a lot of the code is notes about how it works and not actually code, but it made a good point about how we've been using a drag and drop coding program and there is a lot of code behind those drag-able squares. I gave the four older kids the option of playing with the Python code to have Edison draw a different design, but by then their brains were shot and they opted for just free building :). I hope to have the speed video and class video up soon (as well as more pictures) but it seems I'm having technology glitches that I don't have time to solve this evening. I'll aim to fix it all this weekend! Thanks for learning with me!
As the builds get harder our class endurance, grit, and problem solving all have stepped up to the challenge.
When everyone was done building we experimented with different magnetic toys to determine how much weight the crane could hold and what made it tip over. I encouraged the kids to explore adding pieces or changing the design of the crane to be able to hold more weight.
Here is the speed build and a couple videos from our class time together:
This afternoon was the best camp day yet! We all successfully built the Ed Robo Claw. We had fun driving our robo claws with the remote control. The kids set up their own game where they had to pick up pieces and deliver them to either the recycling center or the garbage dump.
Then we started a new programming challenge. Using EdBlocks we attempted to program our Robot Claw to deliver a container of toxic waste to a secure location and return back to camp.
We got really close to being successful with many different groups but had to cut time short in order to clean up successfully. Since we now know we can clean up successfully we can have a little more time working out our code challenge tomorrow. Here is a speed build of the Robo Claw and some class videos. Try, try again is certainly the motto of robotics! I encourage you to try again at home and see if you can figure out the code.
This afternoon Robotics 4 jumped right into the EdDigger build. We found it was easier the second day even though the build was labeled as just as hard as the first day's build.
Everyone was successful in building the EdDigger before snack and recess time. After recess we talked about different coding options and then left it open to each kid to play with their EdDigger, rebuild the EdTank, create their own creation, and/or work on coding their builds with EdBlocks.
At the end of the day I asked everyone to sort their bag of Lego compatible bricks and it was surprisingly difficult for many kids. Please, please work with your children at home to follow the back of the package and count the bricks to get the appropriate bricks in the bag. It's an important organizational skill.
Here is the speed build of the EdDigger with a few videos from our class today:
Robotics 4 is a week long camp where we learn to use two Edison robots together and connect them with Lego compatible bricks and gears. Today we worked through how to program Edison to respond to a remote control and then built the EdTank.
Here is a quick build of the EdTank and a few short videos of our group playing with it at the end.
The pieces are more difficult to use than Lego brand pieces so there were definitely frustrating moments today. I was impressed with how students worked through challenges and helped each other.
When students finished the build they were able to play with the EdTank and the remote control. Then they were issued a programming challenge. Their EdTank is a fire engine and the rubber band it shoots is a water bomb to put out a fire. We drew a "Base Camp" and used EdBlocks to try and write a program where Edison could drive to the fire, shoot the water bomb, and then drive back to camp. Have your student try this at home. Draw the "map" on a large piece of paper or cardboard and work through the EdBlocks code to find a solution. It will take two different programs for the two robots to talk together and work in unison. If your child creates a solution please share it with me! I'd love to see pictures and/or video!
