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WS04 - Robotic helpers

Technologies, Digital Technologies, Years 3 and 4

By the end of Year 4 students describe how people design products, services and environments to meet the needs of people, including sustainability. They process and represent data for different purposes, follow and describe simple algorithms involving branching and iteration, and implement them as visual programs. For each of the 2 prescribed technologies contexts they describe the features and uses of technologies and create designed solutions. Students select design ideas against design criteria. Students securely access and use digital systems and their peripherals for a range of purposes, including transmitting data. They communicate design ideas using models and drawings including annotations and symbols. Students plan and sequence steps and use technologies and techniques to safely produce designed solutions. They use the core features of common digital tools to plan, create, locate and share content, and to collaborate, following agreed behaviours. Students identify their personal data stored online and its risks.

By the end of Year 4 students create simple digital solutions and use provided design criteria to check if solutions meet user needs. Students process and represent data for different purposes. They follow and describe simple algorithms involving branching and iteration and implement them as visual programs. Students securely access and use digital systems and their peripherals for a range of purposes, including transmitting data. They use the core features of common digital tools to plan, create, locate and share content, and to collaborate, following agreed behaviours. Students identify their personal data stored online and recognise the risks.

Knowledge and understanding | Digital systems

AC9TDI4K01

explore and describe a range of digital systems and their peripherals for a variety of purposes

Processes and production skills | Investigating and defining

AC9TDI4P01

define problems with given design criteria and by co-creating user stories

Processes and production skills | Generating and designing

AC9TDI4P02

follow and describe algorithms involving sequencing, comparison operators (branching) and iteration

Processes and production skills | Producing and implementing

AC9TDI4P04

implement simple algorithms as visual programs involving control structures and input

Processes and production skills | Evaluating

AC9TDI4P05

discuss how existing and student solutions satisfy the design criteria and user stories

Processes and production skills | Collaborating and managing

AC9TDI4P06

use the core features of common digital tools to create, locate and communicate content, following agreed conventions

Annotations

 These annotations are interactive and link to a specific timestamp in the video. x
1

Explain that programming can include a loop or instruction to repeat a set of commands. Note: a loop is a control structure that repeatedly executes a sequence of code for as long as a specified condition is met. Loops (iteration) are commonly used for automating repetitive tasks.

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2

Use key vocabulary (parameter) associated with programming.

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3

Describe some of the components that can be used to build a simple robot (digital system) using the robotic kits they have in their classroom: motor, colour sensor, light (sensor) and hub (also commonly described as a programmable brick) with built-in gyro sensor.

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4

Clarify the design brief for planning an effective robotic helper (digital solution) and consider a user story for a boy named Daniel who needs to move his belongings from a school locker to his home.

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5

Use a digital device (tablet) to follow step-by-step instructions (visual algorithm) to assemble a simple robotic device correctly.

 96 104 15 65
6

Collaborate to assemble the component parts of a robotic helper.

 106 114 15 65
7

Attach a hub (programmable brick) to the constructed body for a simple robotic device.

 115 122 15 65
8

Test visual programming (implement the visual program) to see if it performs as expected. Notice that it has malfunctioned and run over “Billy”, the “person” the robot has been designed to help.

 124 128 15 65
9

Run the visual program and evaluate how the robot performs against the design criteria: move one metre forward and collect objects in a straight path, using a constructed scoop on the front of the robot.

 129 159 15 65
10

Collaborate to construct the visual program needed to control their robotic helper, using a specific app on a tablet (digital tools).

 169 171 15 65
11

Use visual code blocks, including event blocks (control structures), to create a visual program.

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12

Debug the visual program by adjusting visual code blocks to ensure the program controls the robotic helper as expected.

 198 216 15 65
13

Debug the visual program by adjusting a value (here a negative number will steer the robot in a particular direction) to ensure the program controls the robotic helper as expected.

 220 251 15 65
Transcript

What I'm looking to see from you today

 

is to apply your understanding of code to innovate.

 

What do you know about coding already?

 

Anything you know, tell me, go for it.

 

There can be loops in coding.

 

We can use loops.

 

What are the other things that we can use in our coding blocks?

 

What are the other blocks that we can do and put in to control our robots?

 

You can put in ...

 

You can spin the number once. [i.e. spin the motor one rotation]

 

Yep, yep, we can do the motor yep.

 

Set the speed.

 

Yeah, set the speed.

 

Fantastic, yeah, because we might want to adjust the speed of what we're doing.

 

Yep

 

Change the parameter for the thing to do something else.

 

I love that use of parameter.

 

And what are some of the components that we might use today

 

in our builds, do you think?

 

Motor.

 

We can use a motor.

 

We can use ...

 

Colour sensor.

 

The colour sensor,

 

The light [sensor].

 

We can use the light [sensor].

 

What else do we have?

 

The hub to connect it ...

 

Yeah, and what does the hub have built into it?

 

Can you remember?

 

Gyro sensor.

 

Yeah, gyro sensor, yeah, and that can measure our tilt, can't it?

 

Yeah, fantastic.

 

So your job is to choose a build,

 

get it built,

 

have a look at the code,

 

and then see if you can imagine the way to adapt or improve.

 

There are 2 ways that you can adapt and improve.

 

The first way is by changing the physical build,

 

and the second way is by editing the code.

 

So it says Daniel’s Locker is overflowing,

 

how can he get all of his things home?

 

Yeah, there you go, so it tells you.

 

so if you hit on start now, you can get back to your build.

 

We’re doing the high-tech playground.

 

Ok I’ll do one, and then we have to attach ...

 

I think we have the body part good.

 

There you go.

 

And then we can attach these 2 back to where they belong.

 

Oh come on. He got Billy [minifigure]!

 

No, he went off track!

 

We want to make him go one metre?

 

[Teacher] Oh, you’ve got to make him go a metre?

 

Yeah.

 

And we’re measuring the metre.

 

Oh, he's scooping everything up, I see.

 

No! He didn’t move Billy!

 

Billy!

 

Oh he’s turning around.

 

What’s going on? He’s turned around.

 

Start.

 

Start.

 

Let’s just ...

 

So when it goes like this … (motions a change of direction with hand)

 

So it's already doing ...

 

Yeah.

 

So I have to change this to negative.

 

Yep.

 

Oh, OK, yep.

 

OK, after that we could make it turn (motions with hand).

 

Unless we adjust this, this one doesn't move.

 

There's only one motor.

LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Minifigure and the SPIKE logo are trademarks and/or copyrights of the LEGO Group. ©2020 - 2023 The LEGO Group. All rights reserved.

Annotations

 

1. Uses common features of digital tools (visual programming app on a tablet device) to produce a visual program to operate a simple robotic device (digital solution).

 

2. Sequences visual code blocks to implement a visual program.

 

3. Follows a provided sequence of steps (algorithm) to produce a visual program.

 

4. Makes modifications - to improve a provided visual program by adding additional control and operator visual code blocks. (Note: Use of the repeat block demonstrates iteration.

5. Implements a visual program using a variety of visual code blocks including a repeat forever loop (iteration).

LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Minifigure and the SPIKE logo are trademarks and/or copyrights of the LEGO Group. ©2020 - 2023 The LEGO Group. All rights reserved.