Unit 6

Topics to be addressed:

• Robotics
• Algorithms and abstraction
• Connections between mathematics and computer science
• Programming
• Societal impacts of computing

Topic Description:

This unit introduces robotics as an advanced application of computer science that can be used to solve problems in a variety of settings from business to healthcare and how robotics enables innovation by automating processes that may be dangerous or otherwise problematic for humans. Students explore how to integrate hardware and software in order to solve problems. Students will see the effect of software and hardware design on the resulting product. Students will apply previously learned topics to the study of robotics.

Objectives:

The student will be able to:

• Identify the criteria that describe a robot and determine if something is a robot.
• Match the actions of the robot to the corresponding parts of the program.
• Build, code, and test a robot that solves a stated problem.
• Explain ways in which different hardware designs affect the function of a machine.
• Describe the tradeoffs among multiple ways to program a robot to achieve a goal.