Download Biologically Inspired Robotics

Biologically Inspired Robotics
Drexel RET Summer 08
Ari Ford
Define Learners

This Unit is designed for 8th grade students
at Woodbury Junior-Senior High School.
The students from Woodbury are a
heterogeneous group of suburban students.
Lesson groupings during the unit vary on a
continuum between individuals, group and
whole class.
Standards – New Jersey State
Technology Standards



8.1.12.9 - Create and manipulate information,
independently and/or collaboratively, to solve
problems and design and develop products.
8.2.12.3 - Develop methods for creating possible
solutions, modeling and testing solutions, and
modifying proposed design in the solution of a
technological problem using hands-on activities.
8.2.12.6 - Create a technological product, system, or
environment using given design specifications and
constraints by applying design and engineering
principles.
Topic

Students will use LEGO Mindstorms, NXT
robots or K’Nex to design, build and program
a robot that models the movements of a
biological system (i.e. a fin, arm, leg, neck
joint, ect.)
Curriculum Links


The units students studied prior to this unit are basic robot
construction and programming. The main concepts students
acquired from the programming unit were how to build simple
robots and incorporate time, motor speed and sensors into
basic programs. For example students would program their
robots to navigate a cave on mars using an ultrasonic sensor or
clear a Moon base of rocks using time and speed as dependent
variables.
The unit that will follow this is a Sumo-Bot unit. Students will
compete to design, construct and program a robot to push an
opponent out of the ring. Students will be given size, weight and
part constraints.
Objectives



The students will be able to describe
biological systems and biologically inspired
robotics
The students will be able to design,
construct and program a biologically
inspired robot
The students will be able to summarize and
analyze the design, construction and
programming process.
Materials






LEGO Minstorms
NXT LEGO Robots
K’Nex
RoboLab software
Mindstorms NXT Education software
Lego Digital Designer software
Procedures

Introduction: Big Ideas – Recognize a biological
system and biologically inspired robotics





Students will view RET Fellowship biologically inspired robot
data and media
Students will be broken into groups of 4
Students will investigate other biological systems and
biologically inspired robotics
Students will choose a biological system to represent
robotically
Students will record daily progress in their Engineering
Notebook
Procedures

Implementation : Big Idea – Design, Construct
and Program a robot

Students will design a biologically inspired robot



Students will construct a biologically inspired robot
Students will program a biologically inspired robot


Students will be encouraged to use Lego Digital
Designer
Students will be encouraged to use Lego NXT
software
Students will record daily progress in their
Engineering Notebook
Procedures

Conclusion: Big Ideas –Summarize the
design, construction and programming
procedure



Students will review their Engineering Notebook
Students will summarize their procedure
Students will identify their successes and failures in
the process
Time Line

The time anticipated for students to fulfill
the objectives of this unit is 8 days. Each
class period is a block of time 89 minutes in
duration.


Introduction - 1 day
Implementation - 6 days




2 days of research and design
2 days of robot construction
2 days of programming
Conclusion – 1day
Supplementary Materials

Videos of Biological Systems




Centipede
Spider
Fish
Videos of Biologically Inspired Robots





Centibot
Spiderbot
Robotic Fish Tale
Robotic Fish Tail Fin
Robo-Salamander
Assessment of Students

Students will be assessed on their
Engineering Notebook, robot performance
and unit summary.
Evaluation

The most important concept from this unit for
students to demonstrate mastery is
describing the procedure followed for
designing, constructing and programming a
biologically inspired robot. The lesson will be
deemed successful if all students adequately
describe a solid knowledge of this procedure
and reflect upon it, pointing out both
successes and failures.