CRANE Boe-Bot Educators Course – August 2015

Hands-on Circuits and Robotics Intro

Learn the basics of robotics with the Parallax Boe-Bot robot at this one-day course.  This hands-on guided tour features an introduction to programming a robot to maneuver and how to build circuits and use them to aid autonomous robot navigation. 

Host
The CRANE Consortium
(Capital Region Academies for the Next Economy)

Location
Parallax Inc.
599 Menlo Drive, Suite 100
Rocklin, CA 95677

Date & Time
Thursday , 8/6/2015
8:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Onboard Computer and Circuit Basics

This first part of the day focuses on the electronic components and design principles that go into most common digital devices.  Course activities are drawn from the “What’s a Microcontroller?” textook.  Discussion will include strategies for adapting the material to different subjects and age levels. 

Activities

  • Introduction to the BASIC Stamp microcontroller
  • Introduction to PBASIC programming with the BASIC Stamp Editor
  • Building a simple light circuit and sending signals to blink lights
  • Playing tones with a piezospeaker

STEM Topics

  • Programming & computing: writing programs, displaying messages, remembering values, computation with math operators
  • Electricity & Electronics: building circuits, voltage, resistance, current, signal generation
  • Physics: light spectrum, frequency and sound

 

Robotics with the Boe-Bot

The second part of the day utilizes the Boe-Bot Robot Kit to introduce robotics along with programming and electronics.  Course activities are drawn from the Robotics with the Boe-Bot textbook.  Discussion will include strategies for adapting the material to different subjects and age levels. 

Activities

  • Build a low-battery indicator circuit
  • Program the Boe-Bot for basic navigation maneuvers
  • Construct touch-sensor switches for sensor navigation
  • Use infrared lights and sensors for robot follow-the-leader
  • Open session – experiment with additional sensors

STEM topics

  • Programming & computing: making decisions based on sensor values, control loops, subroutines
  • Electricity & Electronics: pulse control of servo motors, contact sensors, infrared light sensors
  • Physics: distance = speed x time, time and speed for turning, visible vs. infrared light

Prerequisites & Equipment

  • Bring a laptop computer for which you have priviledges to install software.  It is best if you install the software ahead of time:
  • Basic computer skills required include installing software, connecting peripherals to a USB port, navigating between windows, and using a mouse. No prior programming or electronics experience is required.

Boe-Bot Robot hardware to use during the course will be supplied to you.