ELECTRONICS

Excellent careers can be found in engineering, electronics and robotics. Students in any grade taking this course for the first time will start with a curriculum that builds students' abilities in designing, breadboarding, constructing and soldering circuits. Students that have taken the course before and feel comfortable enough with the basics will be given the opportunity to design and build an independent project of their choice. Past students have made metal detectors, solar powered cellphone charges and even a PiStation.

For the remainder of the course, students use Vex Robotics Kits to build and program remotely controlled robots. The first step is to build several robots using step-by-step plans to learn how to use the parts available – motors, optical sensors, limit switches. These robots are then programmed to run either by themselves, or with remote controls. Next, robots are built to compete in a number of classroom challenges – running mazes, following a path marked on the floor, picking up the most objects in a fixed time period. Students who have taken this course before and feel comfortable with the remote controlled robots will be challenged to build autonomous Vex Robots.

A passion for solving logical programs and science is recommended.