THE ROBOT CHALLENGE Teachers’ Workshop New Jersey Coast

2 Agenda INTRODUCTION  THE ENGINEERING PROFESSION  EDUCATION ASPECTS KEY ELEMENTS OF CHALLENGE  WHAT’S REQUIRED  TEACHER WORKSHOP  EXPECTATIONS AND GOALS  STUDENT TEAMS BUILDING THE ROBOT  ROBOT KIT  TOOLS AND SAFETY  RULES  PLANNING AND BUILDING THE ROBOT AND BODY  SUGGESTIONS  WALKING AND TROUBLESHOOTING  ROBOT STORAGE AND TRAVEL CONTAINER, FLAG AND TEAM NAME SCORING THE ROBOT CHALLENGE  WRITTEN REPORT  ORAL PRESENTATION  REVUE OF FABRICATION  TRACK EVENT WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE CHALLENGE  LOCATION AND TIME  EVENTS  REPAIR PIT  WINNER NOTIFICATION  WRAP UP

3 The Engineering Profession There are many ENGINEERING disciplines: aerospace, agricultural, biomedical, chemical, civil, electrical, environmental, industrial, manufacturing, mechanical, mining, nuclear, software, system, structural and many more! Starting salaries are among the highest for college graduates Employers are large and small companies throughout the globe

4 THIS ROBOT CHALLENGE IS YOUR TOOL to demonstrate engineering principles. The Engineering Profession

Education Aspects The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Coalition works to support STEM programs for teachers and students at the U. S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, and other agencies that offer STEM related programs. The STEM Education Coalition is composed of advocates from over 1,000 diverse groups representing all sectors of the technological workforce – from knowledge workers, to educators, to scientists, engineers, and technicians. The participating organizations of the STEM Education Coalition are dedicated to ensuring quality STEM education at all levels. 5

6 Key Elements of the Challenge What’s Required – Student’s must :  Maintain a log of activity  Prepare project documentation  Build the robot prototype  Design and implement a body covering, traveling container and team identification  Demonstrate the robot operability  Orally present the project results

7 Students learn how to:  Work on a large project  Develop new skills  Complete projects with goals and objectives  Work as a team Key Elements of the Challenge

8 Teacher’s Workshop  Each participant in the teachers’ workshop will have a robot kit, a ruler, and a manual at his/her place, and will take parts out of the kit as directed during the workshop.  All parts should be placed back in the box after the session is over. Key Elements of the Challenge

9  Create the Following Products:  Robot  Body covering  Storage and travel container  Team name, team flag  Project log  Written report  Oral presentation  EXPECTATIONS AND GOALS

10 Key Elements of the Challenge  The Manual – requires close reading and problem-solving skills!  Goal – finished robot walks in a timed “Heat” !  EXPECTATIONS AND GOALS

Key Elements of the Challenge THE HEAT - Two robots walk in a Heat on table 8’ long x 30” wide The course is 6’ long with ½” obstacles at 1’ and 5’ from start Heat duration is 10 – 20 minutes (maximum of 20 minutes if robot is making progress) 11

12 Student Teams

13 Student Teams Each Team is 3-4 students Each leg of the robot is operated by one student Planning, organization, documentation and cooperation required!

14 Student Teams SETTING UP TEAMS  A questionnaire is useful to determine students’ background (electrical, mechanical, written and oral communication skills, creativity, wood working, etc)  Assign specialties to each team. Switch students with specialty if necessary

15 Student Teams STUDENTS WILL EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS: They are DESIGNED in! TEACHERS’ APPROACH  Know all about the project, but don’t solve problems!  Decide how much to share with students and what they should discover for themselves.  Automation Kits – Please return automation boards and interconnection cables.

16 Student Teams Have students log everything:  For things that go wrong, include the problem and a description of attempts to solve the problem, including failures.  Present regular status of progress to class as part of semester grade.

17 Building the Robot

18 Your Robot Kit Kits are to be built with TWO LEGS Robot is designed and built and then electrically wired Assembly time is approximately two-three months based on 3 hours per week. Average of total time is 25 hours.

19  Required - not provided  wood saw  jig saw  electric drill  needle-nose pliers  screw drivers  sharp knife  batteries  tools and materials to create a robot body covering that does not interfere with mechanical operation  sand paper (wood & metal)  25 watt soldering iron  safety goggles  extra blocks of wood  small vise with rubber jaws (for threaded rods)  wire cutter and stripper Building the Robot - Tools

20  Dremel tool (rotary cutting tool) for cutting the threaded rods (cutting rods at 40K RPMs)  Bench drill press is helpful for aligning holes  Miter box  Multimeter (multitester, VOM) to check electrical circuits Building the Robot - Tools  Optional - Not Provided

21 Building the Robot - Safety Use safety glasses at all times when drilling and/or cutting Protect desk or work surface If using lead-based solder, work in a well-ventilated area (science lab) and students must wash hands after use. References for additional safety measures are on next slide.

22 Building the Robot – Parts and Instructions Verify the parts from the materials list in the Manual Limited spare parts can be obtained through your WIE representative READ THE ENTIRE MANUAL BEFORE BEGINNING TO BE CLEAR ON WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE!

23 Building the Robot - Rules The robot must be fabricated using parts provided in the kit To ensure a level playing field, NO deviations from the design of the Power Unit and Control Unit are permitted Substitutions are not allowed but additions are permitted. Gadgets to add personality are ok, but the basic mechanism of the robot cannot be changed

24 If wheels or gears are used, they may NOT touch the table or be externally visible The robot body must be designed such that the team can fully expose all mechanism for inspection by the judges Building the Robot - Rules

25 Building the Robot – Planning and Building the Body Have a theme for robot, robot covering and storage/travel container and team with team flag Be aware that the covering may affect the robot’s center of gravity Body covering must be removable! Beware of fabrics with fibers (for example, felt or fur) that can affect mechanism

26 Building the Robot - Suggestions HINTS and RECOMMENDATIONS  Protect metal rods from bending or breaking; tape to side of box for protection  Use wooden match to mix epoxy – don’t get it on work surface  Use caution when drilling  Wooden rulers are easiest to use Measure twice, cut once!

27 Building the Robot - Wood Block Suggestions for wood block and challenges of 3/32 hole and 3/16 angled hole for wiring:  Use team of 2: driller and spotter  Do short channels first  Take all measurements from one side  Read instructions, mark holes  Use extruding drill bit and ruler to line up holes  Sand tip of metal rod to get thru connecting holes

28 Building the Robot - Wood Block  Insert rod in vise. Push wood down onto it  If too loose, epoxy the inside; clean off outside as it needs to be rigid  Angled holes: angle block in vise and drill straight  Use coat hanger to push thru hole

29 Building the Robot – Mounting Motors To increase contact surface, make shallow channel for motor On 001 drawing, section marked “ up to 2” “ is not necessary for the robot body and can be removed Insert screws by hand

30 Building the Robot - Use of Epoxy Mix on disposable surface After epoxy is applied, use clamps or rubber bands to hold parts in place until dry

31 Building the Robot - Threaded Rods Use Dremel tool or metal saw to cut threaded rod, then file smooth

32 Building the Robot – Jammed Mechanism If leg action jams:  Make sure the rods are straight  Top rod – shorten back stop or use controller to take smaller/shorter steps  If end stops moving, use one drop of superglue (liquid, not viscous) on threaded rod, then clean and reassemble. (Imperfections are uncorrectable!)

33 Building the Robot - Control Units Use nail to indent holes on platform Adhere to hole sizes; hangs too loose if holes are too large

34 Building the Robot - Painting and Assembling Parts Decoration of robot is expected, continue use of theme

35 Building the Robot - Forming Bridge w/ Brass Fasteners.

36 Building the Robot - Common Bus

37 Building the Robot - The Wiring

38 Building the Robot - Soldering Do and Don’ts - see soldering safety Some solder contains lead – wash hands after handling! Use lowest temperature on 25 watt iron Clean and heat larger elements first Solder onto element without blobs!

39 Building the Robot – Walking and Troubleshooting Rotational Movement of Leg is: UP -> FORWARD -> DOWN -> BACK Hip is flexible, leg foot is not flexible Center of gravity shifts with movement Center of gravity is affected by cover Use tape, hairspray or rubber cement on skids for traction

40 Building the Body – Walking and Troubleshooting Plan time to PRACTICE MOVING THE ROBOT! It is harder than it looks!

41 Building the Robot – Storage/Travel Container Consider strong possibility of damage to the robot on the way to the Challenge! Storage/travel container is judged at oral presentation Continue theme for robot and team Container suggestion: wine box w/partitions

42 Scoring the Robot Challenge Written Report Oral Presentation Track Event Review of Fabrication

43 Scoring the Challenge Written Report 25% Oral Presentation 15% Review of Fabrication 20% Track Event 40% 100%

44 Must  be neat and have a picture on the cover  have POC and acknowledgements  be well written  include safety measures  include minimum of 6 pages of text and 4 pages of general description including sketches, photos, work log  include advantages and disadvantages, problems and solutions, throughout development Written Report - 25%

45 Report due to POC the week BEFORE the Challenge no later than 4/22/15 COB  Points awarded for creativity, originality, and sketches  Report will be judged during the week before the Challenge by the judges Written Report - 25%

46 The Oral Presentation – 15% All team members attend and participate ONLY students and judges are present 20-minute limit, including 3 minutes for video if presented Judges may ask questions Discuss problems and solutions

47 Revue of Fabrication - 20% Discuss quality and workmanship of the solder, nuts, bolts, and body Solutions to workmanship issues Points awarded for creativity, originality, and neat housing of power unit

48 Track Event – 40% The robot must walk! Each leg of the robot is operated by one student Robot body must be covered

49 Track Event – 40% Lose Points for:  Touching the robot during heat (1-5 points)  Robot crossing tape boundaries on table  Team late or not ready when called for heat or oral presentation  Non-competing teams must not disrupt the runs – lose points for interruptions

Track Event – 40% Points will be awarded for  smoothness of the robot’s movements  coordination of the operating team  amount of time taken 50

51 The Robot Challenge

52 Location and Time Site of the Challenge is at the Brookdale Community College Collins Arena/Brookdale Recreation & Events Center 765 Newman Springs Rd, Lincroft, NJ :00 AM May 2, 2015

53 Location and Time - Logistics A POC for each team with a contact number for the day must be provided in advance to your WIE contact Snacks will be available on site

Upon arrival,  Register Robot and Team  Photo of Robot is taken Team will be called to track and rules explained Team gives oral presentation and review of fabrication All team members must be ready and available when called for a heat and for the oral presentation with review of fabrication Location and Time - Events 54

55 The Repair Pit There will be a repair pit for emergency repairs and/or assistance Experienced robot builders will be on hand to provide expertise Time-out may be given for sudden component failure after start of heat when robot cannot continue. A penalty is incurred for a visit to the pit.

56 Winners - Notification of Results Certificates will be issued to all participants 1 st and 2 nd trophies will be awarded Formal results, pictures and article will be posted on the WIE website:

57 Wrap Up Discussion of experiences Questions