{"id":13562,"date":"2019-05-16T17:12:46","date_gmt":"2019-05-16T07:12:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/legoeng.local\/?p=13562"},"modified":"2020-05-20T17:09:41","modified_gmt":"2020-05-20T07:09:41","slug":"steepest-incline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/legoeng.local\/steepest-incline\/","title":{"rendered":"Steepest Incline"},"content":{"rendered":"
This variation of the classic\u00a0Ramp Climber<\/em>\u00a0challenge<\/a> builds on the original challenge with the use of sensors to start and stop the robot. Framed in this way, it works well as a very basic intro to programming, including how to download a program, the difference between “wait for sensor” and “sensor” blocks, and even really simple things like the difference between the motor and sensor ports.<\/p>\n Design and build a vehicle that is activated by a touch sensor, climbs the steepest incline, and stops at the top.<\/p>\n The last time I ran this activity, I had a pang of regret that I should’ve brought in a selection of wheels and tracks, but I’m glad I didn’t. It’s pretty obvious that friction would make a big difference, but with everyone using the same wheels (as well as the same motors) from the EV3 kits, it highlighted many of the other differences, such as shape (long and thin v wide wheel bases), centre of mass, and gearing.<\/p>\n In the future, if I wanted to allow more time for this challenge, and particularly if I wanted to focus on the physics involved, I might bring in a selection of wheels and tracks, but only after everyone has had a first pass at a solution.<\/p>\n Although I ask my students to use a touch sensor to start their robots, I deliberately don’t specify how I want the robots to stop at the top of the ramp. I usually don’t even mention sensors at all. Realistically there probably aren’t that many different options but, as always, I like to leave room for alternatives wherever possible. At the very least we can have a discussion about the pros and cons of the different sensors. Some ideas that typically emerge include:<\/p>\n I have mixed feelings about sharing sample solutions, but appreciate they might be useful if you need some reassurance that you’re on the right track. To that end, here are a couple of possible approaches, intended for teachers. Please don’t share these with students, or at least not until they’ve experienced some productive struggle [external link]<\/a>.<\/p>\n This is approach is possibly the simplest.<\/p>\n Here is another approach that I quite like. A feature of this approach is that once the robot starts moving, it will stop either when it gets to the top of the ramp or if it is picked up, and will keep moving as soon as it is put back down on the ramp.<\/p>\n As with many of the classic challenges that I’ve given at teacher workshops, I have a handout prepared for this challenge, but as I said in this earlier post<\/a>, I wouldn’t normally print it out. Instead I normally display it on a projector when giving the challenge to my students.<\/p>\nThe challenge<\/h2>\n
<\/a>
Materials required<\/h2>\n
\n
Teacher notes<\/h2>\n
\n
<\/a>
<\/a>