Instruction Guide: SumoBots
This lesson ties together all the learning to date. The students must design a Sumo-bot that will stay in the arena while attempting to push out or disable their opponent..
The Engineering Process II PowerPoint presentation recaps and builds upon the previous Engineering Process presentation:
Slide 1
Recap of Science vs Engineering
Slides 2 & 3
Formal definitions of Engineering Process terms
Slide 4
Recap of Scientific Method vs Engineering Process
Slide 5
This slide breaks out the steps of the Engineering Process into the deliverable of the Engineering Process Log (see below).
The SumoBot Task Assignment Sheet provides detailed specifications and a sign-off sheet for the this culminating chalenge.
This "Problem Solving with Programming" pdf from the "Challenges" page in "NXT Video Trainer 2.0" discusses the incremental design. This approach of breaking a large task down, and then incrementally designing/testing one piece at a time is a great antidote to most students' compulsion to jump right in at try to write a complex program all in one step.:
- The first setup is to clearly identify the complex task to be accomplished
- This complex task is broken down into simple behaviors that can implemented by the robot
- Starting with a single simple behavior, the program is written, tested and debugged
- A second single simple behavior is then developed (written, tested and debugged) as a stand-alone program.
- The new program is added to the prior program and the combination is then debugged as a whole
- Similarly, the program for each new behavior is developed stand-alone, and then added to the every growing complex program which, in turn, is debugged as whole before moving on to the next incremental piece.
- Once all the pieces are developed, the complete program is debugged as a whole.
Have students document the steps of the Engineering Process (restate challenge in their own words, identify related web sites, etc.) that they use in developing their robots. This Engineering Process Log Word hardcopy file may be used to document these steps in writing, or this electronic version may be used for a softcopy.
Conduct a double-elimination drag racing tournament (so each team races at least twice). This site may be used to create an on-line race bracket, or this one for printed format.
