LEGO Robots for solving everyday problems

The problem is to learn how to design and build an autonomous robot that can locate and remove 5 soda-pop cans from a specified area that is one meter diameter.

Project goals:
To help students to design and build autonomous robots that can locate and remove objects from a defined space. More specifically, using the LEGO MINDSTORMS kit and ROBOLAB programming language, the students will design and build an autonomous robot that is capable of removing 5 soda-pop cans from a specified area that is one meter diameter.

Learning objectives:
In the end, students will be able to:
– Learn how to build a robot as a simple introduction to the kit and programming language
– Learn how to explore the advantages and disadvantages of various chassis designs for speed, power, durability, and maneuverability, learn of how to apply skills learned in both chassis design and programming to solve as many levels of the challenges as possible (there are four levels)

Situated context of the problem:
The use of robotics as an educational tool is growing in popularity. Advances in technology have resulted in the development of generic robotic construction kits for use in grade school (K-12) environments. Designing a robot to do even a simple task can place extensive demands on students’ individual creativity and problem-solving abilities. At the same time, the learning context allows students to work in a constructionist, collaborative learning environment that promotes the sharing of ideas.