2. Project Overview Introduction Clawbot Build Design Modification
Design Development
Programming
Sensors
Advanced Sensors
Open design challenges – Minimal robotics
Project evaluation

3. TODAYS CHALLENGE
Minimise your Robot Today’s challenge is to create the smallest moving robot possible. The brief sets out the following task: “Design for controller operation your robot to be the smallest it can be. The robot must be able to drive around a circuit as proof it works as a driver controlled robot. The robot must be made from the least number of parts, be the smallest possible, or form the smallest height, weight or width when measured against other robots from other teams.” In your teams, discuss the challenge and decide how you intend to go about achieving the best score in each of the following sections.
Size descriptor
Points awarded as follows
Least number of parts
Including the cortex, points are awarded for the least parts. Top team 6 points, bottom team 1 point
Smallest total height x width x length
Measurement taken of widest, longest and highest points to calculate volume. Top team 6 points, bottom team 1 point
Smallest height
Measurement of tallest point from ground of robot. Top team = shortest = 6 points, bottom team = tallest = 1 point.
Smallest width
Measurement of widest point from left to right. Top team = narrowest = 6 points, bottom team = widest = 1 point.
Smallest weight
Measurement of total weight in grams. Top team = lightest robot = 6 points, bottom team = heaviest robot = 1 point.

4. LESSON 12

5. LESSON 12 STARTER
Learning objective: Analyse the design brief. Establish a range of solutions for a robot that consider autonomous and controller type robots. Propose, build, test and present a working solution as a team.
In your Notebook… Task 1: Note down all the elements of the challenge and draw a detailed drawing of the arena you are going to compete over set down by your teacher. Things to note: - dimensions of any items you need to interact with (objects and parts of the arena) - number of objects in the arena you need to interact with - the time limit you have to complete the challenge - any initial issues you have identified based on your existing robot build
Key words: Programmable, environment, design, manufacturing and application

6. MINIMISE CHALLENGE Shrinking robots down
Each of the robots set out below shows progression from one to the next towards an optimal goal of minimisation. The first, the original Clawbot, is quite large, bulky and has considerable width. The second development shows a low robot with a much more narrow design though the body is very long. The final robot has reduced wheels and parts, and mounts the cortex in a different way. The vehicle is short in length and width but perhaps fails in the height. Each will still drive around a track no problem.

7. MINIMISE CHALLENGE The track
The track your robot must navigate around is shown below. The task is to move around a figure of 8 using the smallest, simplest robot possible (depending on the criteria that defines small). Once you have negotiated the track using a simple controller operation, you are then challenged with automating the drive for a bonus score! Depending on how far you get around the track, you can score between 1 and 6 points.

8. MINIMISE CHALLENGE

9. MINIMISE CHALLENGE
Challenge Time “Design for controller operation your robot to be the smallest it can be. The robot must be able to drive around a circuit as proof it works as a driver controlled robot. The robot must be made from the least number of parts, be the smallest possible, or form the smallest height, weight or width when measured against other robots from other teams.”

10. PROJECT EVALUATION
Working in your Engineering Notebooks Task: Write up a full evaluation of the 12 lesson project as follows: Section 1 What have you learnt over the 12 lessons. List things that were new learning or new experiences. Section 2 What did you find challenging when working with robotics. Section 3 Explain your understanding of programming and robot design in relation to the challenges you attemped in teams. Section 4 Describe in detail what you would like to design, build and programme in VEX Robotics if given the chance to in the future.

11. LESSON 12 PLENARY
As a class, let us consider the following questions? A. Why did you choose autonomous/controller?
B. What was the benefit of choosing the other in hindsight?
C. What aspects of controller and autonomous could you combine for a better solution?
D. What made autonomous/controller hard to achieve the perfect solution?

12. SUMMARY Today you have:
Learning objective: Analyse the design brief. Establish a range of solutions for a robot that consider autonomous and controller type robots. Propose, build, test and present a working solution as a team.
Today you have:
Learnt to discuss in teams the analysis of a design brief
Developed solutions for a robot challenge using autonomous and controller solutions
Developed a robot solution which can be tested and evaluated