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How to Start a LEGO MINDSTORMS
Robotics Program for Elementary and
Middle School Students
Jointly Presented by The University of Texas at San Antonio and Texas Tech University
Dr. Can (John) Saygin
College of Engineering
Interactive Technology Experience Center (iTEC)
http://itec.utsa.edu
Courtney Pinnell
Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/coe/stem/gear/
Saturday, June 9, 2012 -- 3:00-4:15 pm
Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center (Room: 214A), San Antonio
Workshop Objectives
• To demonstrate the basic operation of Lego®
MindStorms NXTTM.
• To “briefly” guide you through a hands-on
application.
• To introduce GEAR (Getting Excited About Robotics)
Competition (http://www.gearrobotics.org).
Expectations are limited by constraints…
We have 75 minutes  …
“How to Start a LEGO MINDSTORMS Robotics Program for Elementary and Middle School Students”
K-12 ASEE Workshop by UTSA and Texas Tech – June 9, 2012
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AGENDA
Introductions: Tell us about your goals (10 min)
Know what is on your thumb-drive (5 min)
Intro to NXT and Example 1 (10 min)
Example 2 (5 min)
What is GEAR? (UTSA Video and Texas Tech prsnt) (10 min)
GEAR 2012 (including programming) (25 min)
Q & A Session (10 min)
Feel Free to Contact Us…
Dr. Can (John) Saygin
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Director, interactive Technology Experience Center
(iTEC)
The University of Texas - San Antonio (UTSA)
Mechanical Engineering Department
One UTSA Circle
San Antonio, Texas 78249-0670
can.saygin@utsa.edu
Dr. Tanja Karp
Associate Professor of Electrical and
Computer Engineering
TTU Fulbright Program Adviser
TTU Society of Women Engineers Faculty
Advisor
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX 79409-3102
tanja.karp@ttu.edu
“How to Start a LEGO MINDSTORMS Robotics Program for Elementary and Middle School Students”
K-12 ASEE Workshop by UTSA and Texas Tech – June 9, 2012
3
Effective Learning
HARDWARE
NOT GIVEN
GIVEN
3 STEP 3 For an
4 STEP 4 Given
existing program, design
a robot that does what
the program is intended
for…
a “robotic mission”,
design a robot, write
a program, and
improve both if
needed…
1 STEP 1 - For an
2 STEP 2 For an
existing robot &
program, demonstrate
what it does and how it
does…
existing robot and its
“mission”, write a
program or rewrite
program of Step 1...
PROGRAM
GIVEN
PROGRAM
NOT GIVEN
PROGRAMMING
/SOFTWARE
“How to Start a LEGO MINDSTORMS Robotics Program for Elementary and Middle School Students”
K-12 ASEE Workshop by UTSA and Texas Tech – June 9, 2012
4
Inspire | Teach | Excite | Challenge
Introduction to NXT:
Overview and Your First Robot
The Big Picture
Lego
Pieces
+
NXT
Brain
Sensors
Inspire | Teach | Excite | Challenge
6
Introduction
• LEGO MINDSTORMS
NXT is a robotics toolset
that provides endless
opportunities for
budding inventors,
robotics fanatics and
LEGO builders ages 10
and older to build and
program robots that do
what they want.
Inspire | Teach | Excite | Challenge
7
Introduction
The heart of the system is the
NXT brick, an autonomous LEGO
microprocessor that can be
programmed using a PC.
Designers create a program
with easy-to-use, yet featurerich software.
Inspire | Teach | Excite | Challenge
8
Introduction
• Downloading programs to an application is easy.
• Users with Bluetooth®-enabled computer hardware
can transfer their programs to the NXT wirelessly, or
anyone can use the included USB cable to connect
their computer to the NXT for program transfer.
• The robot then takes on a life of its own, fully
autonomous from the computer.
Inspire | Teach | Excite | Challenge
9
The Brain
Inspire | Teach | Excite | Challenge
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The Brain
• This image of the NXT
Brain depicts two series
of “holes” These are
designed to allow the
user to create a “cradle”
for the brain.
• The standard pegs that
come in your NXT kit will
fit snugly into these holes.
Inspire | Teach | Excite | Challenge
11
Motor
Motors are a combination of
three items:
1. An electric motor.
2. A position sensing device.
3. A feedback circuit to
control the motor.
• Motor receives its information from the brain of the
robot.
• Communication between the motor and the brain is
transmitted through an NXT cable.
12
Inspire | Teach | Excite | Challenge
Let’s build a basic car!
Inspire | Teach | Excite | Challenge
13
“Follow the Line” – single sensor
Inspire | Teach | Excite | Challenge
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Inspire | Teach | Excite | Challenge
Line Following
With One Light Sensor
Attach a light sensor
To attach a light sensor to the EduBot, refer to pages
32-33 of the NXT Building Guide (that comes with the
Education Kit).
Inspire | Teach | Excite | Challenge
16
Edge following or line following?
The easiest way
to follow a line is
to follow the
edge, moving on
and off the black.
Inspire | Teach | Excite | Challenge
17
When on white it
needs to go to black.
?
When on black it needs
to go to white.
?
Inspire | Teach | Excite | Challenge
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. . . And back to black While doing this, it
again.
edges up the line.
Inspire | Teach | Excite | Challenge
19
Basic Line Follow
Stops
Switch
B
Forward
Left
Inspire | Teach | Excite | Challenge
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Basic Line Follow
The Switch block
and its configuration panel
The trigger point value determines
when the sensor is seeing black or
white.
It is the average between the black
% and white %.
(Black% + White%) ÷ 2
Inspire | Teach | Excite | Challenge
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Basic Line Follow
A partially completed line-follow program should look like this . . .
IMPORTANT
Set Move block
duration to
“Unlimited.”
Don’t download
yet…
What still needs to
be added
Inspire | Teach | Excite | Challenge
22
Finished Line (Edge) Follow Program
Inspire | Teach | Excite | Challenge
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Educate NXT
www.EducateNXT.com
Inspire | Teach | Excite | Challenge
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THANK YOU !!!
Inspire | Teach | Excite | Challenge
UTSA Engineering & iTEC
proudly thank all of our
GEAR sponsors !!!
GEAR 2012 @ UTSA
• 112 teams
• 550 students
• 112 volunteers (1/team) – welcome, parking, team mgt
and staging,…
• 800-900 “Fans” on bleachers
• 6 Judges (outside playing field support and
assessment)
• 32 Referees (during games)
• Gymnasium, Security/Police, Audio/Video, Parking,
Registration, Housekeeping, Food for Volunteers, Setup
& take down, …
GEAR @ Texas Tech University
Courtney Pinnell and Dr. Tanja Karp,
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Texas Tech University
tanja.karp@ttu.edu
ASEE K-12 Workshop, June 2012
History: GEAR @ TTU
 6 - 8 week LEGO robotics competition for






elementary school and middle school
students
Goal: get students excited about STEM
disciplines, learn problem solving skills,
design, trouble-shooting, etc.
Most schools work on challenge after
school or during special class periods
No participation fee for schools
GEAR competitions at TTU since 2006
50 participating schools, over 180 teams,
500 participants in 2012
www.gearrobotics.org
GEAR Hubs: TTU, UTSA, Richardson
TTU GEAR Events
 New Teacher Workshop (January)
 Kickoff Event: (February,
Engineers Week)
 GEAR Trial Run (March)
 GEAR Game Day (April,
National Robotics Week)
GEAR 2012 Activities
Development of GEAR 2012 Challenge
Collaboration with GEAR Game
Design Team and iTEC UTSA
 Maintenance of energy
infrastructure of national
energy provider “Energy
Incorporated”
 Robots operate equipment
that helps provide fossil and
alternative energy for
customers
 Distribution of game mats to
all teams in Texas
GEAR 2012 Kickoff Event at TTU
 GEAR 2012 Challenge “Power Up”, Trial Run and Game Day
 Relationship to Real World Engineering Tasks
• Felipe Davila, Halliburton
• Dr. Michael Giesselmann, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas Tech
 Oil Spill Clean-up Hands-on Activity
 Distribution of Game Pieces and LEGO NXT kits
ENGR 1315 Students at GEAR Trial Run
Key Success Factors
 Flexibility of implementation at school and hub level
 Collaboration between teachers and engineering students
 No participation fee for schools
• We provide game pieces and game mats for schools
• Schools can check out up to 6 LEGO NXT MINDSTORMS kits
 Educational opportunities for engineering students
• Participation for partial course credit
• Service learning projects
 Promoting engineering (STEM) through role models
 Shared resources between different robotics programs at TTU
 Integration of research, teaching, & outreach
GEAR Sponsors
Pipeline of K-12 Robotics Competitions @ TTU
GEAR
1st-8th grade
BEST
7th – 12th
grade
FRC
9th-12th grade