AR Day 10

· The teacher will explain the concept of sensors using the Robot Sensing and Control Demonstrations explained in Lesson 2.3 Teacher Notes.

Robot Sensing and Control Demonstrations

Demonstration #1

Equipment: Open can, 10 unsharpened pencils

Purpose: Students have difficulty understanding that computer-controlled machines must be told to do everything they do. We humans do so much automatically because of learned responses. Therefore, when we consider what we have to tell the computer model to do, we inadvertently leave out steps. This demonstration will reinforce the necessity of explaining every step.

Situation: Ask a student to help you play robot. Program the student by telling them what they are going to do. “When I hold this pencil up, you are to take it and place it in the can.” Present several pencils and tell the student to put them into the can. Now hold the pencil tightly and tell the student to pull harder and harder to get the pencil out of your hand. Ask the student, “Did I program you to pull harder?” This is an example of a learned reaction; computer-controlled machines don’t know how to do that yet.

Extension: Same situation but place the pencils in the can to start off. This time move the can around. Again ask the students, “Did I program the student to find the can if it moved?”

Demonstration #2

Equipment: Cotton balls, heavy glove, paper with 6 in. circle drawn on it, dish

Purpose: Humans are able to sense a condition and adapt to the changing condition. The smarter a computer-controlled robot is, the more ability it will have to sense what it is doing and adjust to the changing condition.

Situation: Have a student play smart robot for you. Ask the student to place the cotton balls in the circle you have drawn on the piece of paper. Place several cotton balls in the dish in front of them. Ask the student to pick up each cotton ball and place it in the circle. Now ask the student to close their eyes and try to do the same thing. You have removed the sense of sight. Ask the student to put on a heavy glove while keeping their eyes closed. You have removed the sense of sight and touch. Notice that in order to make adjustments in the system, the system must be able to sense the condition.

· The teacher will show the Programmer and Machine Video from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU).

· The teacher will present Technological Systems.ppt.