LEGO Robotics: Cars & Mechanisms – Week 2: July 7-11 – Nations

Topic

• 1 – Study the basics of the Micro:Bit microcontroller. The Micro:Bit is a single-board computer designed specifically for educational institutions. It provides an interesting way for children to learn technical creativity and programming. In the first lesson we will learn how to connect it, write simple code and display animations.    

• 2 – Learn how to program the buttons. We connect the LED to the microcontroller and learn how to turn it on and off automatically. In the end of the lesson we will make a luminaire with different colors.  

• 3 – Wonderful project of a musical piano we will make in Lesson 3. For this children will have to build a model of a musical instrument and learn how to control the sound. It is very interesting and entertaining to press the homemade keys and hear the sound of melodies.   

• 4 – The Micro:Bit microcontroller has a gyroscope. With it you can track the position in space. Based on this we will make two projects. The first one is a playing cube. When we crack it a number from 1 to 6 will come out. And the second project is a popular toy from the 50’s Magic 8-ball  

• 5 – Saving Sea Turtles. Did you know that newly hatched sea turtles use moonlight to find their way to the sea. The high, bright light can throw them off. Today, you and I are going to prototype beach lighting for pathways that safely leads people but doesn’t distract turtles  

• 6 – Interesting microcontroller drawing project. The Micro:Bit will be used as a joystick and the character will draw in a Scratch program. The program will use the Micro:Bit accelerometer to guide the pencil sprite across the screen, drawing a line as it moves.  

• 7 – Using the Micro:Bit accelerometer and radio functions, create a prototype device that will help scientists track polar bears or other animals and learn how climate change affects them.   

• 8 – A jukebox is a jukebox that plays different songs when you put a coin in and choose the tune you want to hear by pressing buttons. Today we are implementing one of these.   

• 9 – Human reaction time is 100-150 milliseconds. See how fast you can react. Make a reaction game with real physical switches that you can hit as hard as you like!  

• 10 – Create a railroad crossing. Talk to children about the rules of crossing railroad tracks. Create and program the crossing and barrier. We will use a servo motor to open the barrier.  

• 11 – Let’s use our Micro:Bit to create a prototype of LED lights that can prevent unwanted fish, turtles and birds from getting into fishing nets. An interesting and very useful project, to protect marine life.   

• 12 – A final project to clean up the ocean from bottles. Ocean pollution is a really big problem. Let’s create a prototype device to help with this not easy task. It will clean up the ocean – enabling people to live on a clean planet.   

Topic

1 – Exploring human health issues  

Humanity continues to suffer from disease. The advances of science are great, but diseases that cannot be cured still exist. The only solution is to continue scientific research in search of cures and using the latest technology. Let’s find out how robots can be used to reduce the effects of disease on humans. Let’s create a wheelchair and analyze how it helps people who can’t get around on their own.   

2 – Arms of Steel  

The loss of any limb or any organ for a person is a big problem. In some cases we have to put up with it, but sometimes modern means of prosthetics can make a miracle.   With the help of LEGO constructor we will design and program a prosthetic arm and check how it can repeat our movements.  

3 – The influence of sports on health  

Doing sports helps to develop qualities useful to life, such as determination and self-confidence. Sports is the sum total of a constant effort on oneself. Let’s break down the types of sports and build a robot that will demonstrate how to do gymnastic exercises.   

4 – The energy problem of mankind  

The depletion of the planet’s resources has an extremely negative effect on both humans and the planet. Now people are beginning to realize this and do everything possible to reduce the impact of oil and gas on the energy sphere.  We will look at what methods we can do this and create a wind farm project on LEGO.   

5 – The Pollution Problem  

In this lesson we will look at what pollutes our planet the most. We will study the decomposition times of different types of garbage. Analyze ways to dispose of food and household waste. We will build a LEGO robot which will mimic a vacuum cleaner robot at home. А   

6 – Robots in everyday life  

Now mankind can not live without robots. They exist in every sphere of human activity.  With children let’s analyze how robots influence the mental development of mankind and its comfort. Let’s assemble a model of a vending machine today and see how such an invention works. How effectively and quickly you can sell goods in this way   

7 – Science and robots. Centrifugal force.   

First, we will assemble a carousel that allows us to demonstrate in practice how centrifugal force works. We will learn why the blades of the carousel rise to the top when the speed of rotation increases. We will look at devices from everyday life, which also use centrifugal force for their work. And, of course, we will learn why a hammer thrower can throw his projectile so far.   

8 – Principles and algorithms of sorting  

Very often each person is faced with the fact that he needs to sort something. Sometimes it can be just candies, sometimes toys or books. Often robot sorters are needed in production. They make it very simple and easy for people to work. Today our topic is sorting parts by color on the LEGO constructor. I’m sure the algorithms we learn today can be applied in everyday life as well.    

9 – The robot policeman    

Thanks to policemen, we honor ourselves with safety. They control order in the city. But technology is moving forward, and we must follow them. Since you and I are real inventors – we will try to invent a police robot. Who knows, maybe this project will become a reality in the future.   

10 – Gyroscope.  

The first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “gyroscope” is a gyro scooter. Yes, indeed the principle of a gyroscope is used there. But did you know that a gyroscope is found in many applications, from children’s toys to spacecraft. Let’s build an experimental model of a gyroscope together and test it in action  

11 – Angles and Throwing Power  

Since ancient times, people have used the catapult. It is not just a siege weapon – it is a precise engineering structure. It is important to calculate the angle and force to hit the exact target. Today we’re going to build a catapult. We’re going to use formulas to figure out how to throw it correctly. We will practice launching it on the construction kit.   

12 – Sounds for Man.   

Since very ancient times it is believed that music can affect the psycho-emotional state of man. It is said that if plants include classical music, they will grow better.  We learn about notes, and the purity of sound. Sound can even cause fear or joy in a person. We will build our own guitar and try to make our own sounds.  

Topic

• 1 – Begin a course on how to create your own game. In the first lesson we will get acquainted with the program interface. We will learn how to create a game world. We will be able to add mountains and hollows, rivers and forests. We will learn how to create simple game shapes and change their properties, such as size and shape. It seems unlikely, but after the first lesson we will already have a game world created.   

• 2 – We will create a comfortable place for the character to appear. No matter how cool the world is, it will always be boring there alone. We will add some enemies and realize a simple RPG game. The next step is to learn how to create game scripts in the LUA programming language.  

• 3 – Surely everyone remembers the cult game Mario. Here, with the Roblox constructor you can create something similar. Using ready-made templates we will create a level, add different elements on the level. And, of course, write a script for the correct interaction between the player and the game world.   

• 4 – Continue to explore patterns of game worlds. This time it will be a game world OBBY. It will need to make a jump from platform to platform. We will learn how to implement control points in the game. And the most interesting and fun part of the lesson will be creating dialogues between characters.   

• 5 – A very important element in every game is the menu. The creators devote a lot of time to it, because it’s the very first thing the player sees when starting the game. Sometimes the menu allows you to choose the initial settings of the game, can enable or disable elements of the settings and so on. So today we will create the game menu.  

• 6 – We will add moving objects to our level. Explore the connection between game objects and create a moving bridge. On the basis of the same equipment we will implement the elevator, which will be able to raise and lower our character. And, of course, we will add buttons to be able to control them.    

• 7 – Few people know, but in the game environment Roblox you can make the change of day and night. This feature gives an additional effect and additional ideas for the game.  Also in the lesson we will learn how to make glowing blocks – imitation lamps. Well, having these skills will now be able to create a game with a treasure hunt on the map   

• 8 – Sometimes during the game our character should be instantly moved to another point on the map, so as not to waste time on movements. To do this, the easiest way is to use the teleporter. You can also use the teleporter to move your character to a secret room on the level. Today we will understand the settings and effects of teleportation  

• 9 – With the help of visual effects and writing a script we can implement a “mine” in the game, which will take away the health of the protagonist. Also add the ability to replenish health with hearts. Implement an obstacle course using the skills of the previous lessons  

• 10 – Textures and special effects in the game. Explosions, explosions, flames, smoke – all this adds to the effectiveness and realism of any game. In Roblox you can do it too. Today we’ll practice adding textures for different objects on the level.   

• 11 – Creating a Racing Simulator. Creating a race track, testing different cars.  

• 12 – Creating the final draft of the game. Continuing to finalize the previous project. We should have a city block with houses, roads. We will use all the previous skills that we learned in the lessons earlier.   

Topic

• 1 – Python is an interpreted object-oriented high-level programming language. It is used in web development, DataScience, automation systems, applications – the areas of its application are truly limitless. But the main advantage of Python is its low entry threshold. Today let’s start learning syntax and word output. Let’s understand the “print” function and learn what “variable” and “data types” are.  

• 2 – With a few lines of code you can learn how to draw in Python using the “Turtle” module. This will allow you to learn coordinates, loops. We will practice creating fancy abstract shapes. It will be very interesting and unusual.   

• 3 – We will learn how to work with value input with the “input” commands. We will program code that will count arithmetic operations such as: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Based on the knowledge gained from the lesson, create your own calculator.   

• 4 – A person in real life often uses such a concept as comparison and often has to make some important decisions from several options. Programming uses the same thing. There are “bool”, “if-else”, “if-elif-else” operators, comparison constructs and much more. Let us see what the computer will tell us in exercise 2+2=5   

• 5 – The sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening. And the next day everything repeats. This is the simplest version of the cycle. In Python, there are also several variants of “For” and “While” loops. They are used when you want something to repeat over and over again. To make the robot with loops more memorable, let’s create a game called “Guess my number”. Let’s program and play.  

• 6 – Using the skills of the previous lessons, as well as the robot with “Strings” let’s create the game “Rock, paper, scissors”. This is a popular game known in many countries around the world. It is often used as a way to draw lots to determine the order of turns in other games.  

• 7 – A general introduction to errors and exceptions in the Python programming language. “SyntaxError”, “NameError”, “TypeError”, “ValueError”, “ZeroDivisionError”. Exception handling with try-except instruction.  

• 8 – Functions are an important element of structured programming. They allow us to single out a code fragment which performs a certain task. It can then be referred to from various places in the program by the name it is called. Let’s create our own functions and add them to the program. Consider the return of values from functions.   

• 9 – When we go to the store, we often create a shopping list. Let’s create our own list in Python. We can replace items in the list, add and remove them. The list can also contain elements of different data types.   

• 10 – The word “Dictionary” in Python has a slightly different meaning to what we are used to. A dictionary is a variable unordered set of “key: value” elements. A very important data structure in programming. Let’s study the methods of the dictionary and the enumeration of dictionary values.  

• 11 – Large amounts of data are not stored in lists or dictionaries, but in files and databases. In this lesson, we will study the peculiarities of working with text files in Python. Such files are treated as containing characters and strings. We will create a file, put text in it, and take it out of the file when we need it.  

• 12 – Random emulation is often needed in computer programs. For example, in game development. In Python we have the function “random” and write some programs called “Guess the number” and “Guess the number”. Let’s practice doing tasks from the material we’ve learned. 

Topic

• 1 – Arduino is a small board with its own processor and memory. You can connect all sorts of components to it: light bulbs, sensors, motors, kettles, routers, magnetic door locks, and anything else that runs on electricity.  In the first lesson of the course we will get acquainted with the board, and the basics of electronics. We do some simple projects with LEDs and buttons. We learn how to control them.   

• 2 – Just imagine, already on the second course you can make your own simple weather station. For this we will use a temperature sensor. We will also connect some LEDs and write a code that will tell us in different colors about the extremely low and extremely high temperature.  

• 3 – Servo motor is a motor which can turn by a certain number of degrees. With this motor and the Arduino Microcontroller we can realize a project of opening a barrier for passing cars. We will also figure out the potentiometer that allows you to smoothly decrease and increase the brightness of the light bulb   

• 4 – Microcontroller can not only receive some data from sensors, but also can be itself as a complete device. For example, if you connect a speaker to it, it can control the sound. We learn how to output the sounds of different notes. And if you connect a few buttons to it, then it can be a real synthesizer. And if you understand music, you can even write your own melody from the notes.   

• 5 – In the past, if you had to count down small increments of time, people used an hourglass. They always worked accurately and reliably. Now we live in the 21st century, in the world of electronics, so the hourglass will be electronic. Use an Arduino and a set of LEDs to build one and program it.   

• 6 – Controlling motors with the Arduino is more complicated than just controlling LEDs. But we have to learn how to do it.  This skill will allow us to control all kinds of motors later on. And in this lesson we will connect and practice controlling small 6 volt motors.  

• 7 – Crystal balls can help you “predict” the future. You ask a question and it answers. The answers will be predetermined by you. A very interesting and fun game.  But for its implementation will need to learn how to work with the display, and this is not as easy as it seems at first glance. Well, I’m sure we can handle the food task.  

• 8 – Where does everyone put expensive and valuable things? In the safe. And if you lose the key to the safe, it will be very difficult to open it. We will make a prototype version of the safe without a key. And we can open and close it with special key combinations. Each student can make a unique combination.   

• 9 – Every beginning electrician should know that there are two types of material. One conducts electric current – the other does not. But not everyone knows that with any conductive material you can make a touch switch. And this whole thing is controlled by an Arduino, of course.  

• 10 – Study the communication between the computer and the microcontroller. We will figure out the communication protocols between these devices. And with the help of the microcontroller we will learn how to control the program in the computer. We will create a kind of Joystick.   

• 11 – From the knowledge we got from the previous lessons we will create the robot OTTO. This is a robot which uses servo motors for movement and an ultrasonic sensor as its eyes. The robot is very fun and funny. It will be the first full-fledged robot in your life, created with your own hands.  

• 12 – Many people for sure have pets at home. And a lot of owners know that they need to be fed on time. But it is not always possible to do this. We will try to solve this problem today by creating a prototype device for dispensing food. A microcontroller will turn the servo motor for a few seconds and the food will fall out of the feeder. An interesting and useful thing in every home.

Topic

• 1- Getting acquainted with the interface of the game creation program. An overview of the program’s basic elements. We will learn how to create and edit a territory. Add static elements to the map, change size, position, and rotation. Applying properties to objects.   

• 2 – Creating the game project “To the moon”. Over the next few lessons, we will create a game world on the Moon. We will build a space station that provides a combination of designing personal space and social experiences.  In the first phase of the project, we will create the planet and the outer space around it. We’ll break down how to add a backdrop. Create additional solar system elements such as the sun and constellations.  

• 3 – We’ll learn how to change the landscape of the moon and create craters, mountains and troughs. We’ll understand the properties of terrain, and learn how to add different materials to terrain. We’ll paint our world to make it look like the real moon. Create a huge crater, in which we can later build our base.   

• 4 – Change the rebirth point of our character and start building the lunar base.  First of all, build a glass dome over the crater. Using templates we will place the base and study it.  We will learn how to edit individual objects and put the necessary equipment there.   

• 5 – Let’s design and build a combat training building from standard elements. Build walls, a roof, install windows and doors, and paint it in a unique style. Add a target and different types of weapons.     

• 6 – Change our character, add vehicles and enemies. We will learn how to upload our game to the public domain and be able to test and play it with our classmates.   

• 7, 8 – With the experience after creating Moon World, we won’t stop there. To improve our skills in game creation we will take several lessons to get a certificate. The first stage will be “Models and Content”. We will model our objects to add them to the game world.   

• 9, 10 – To get the second certificate we will take a course called “Environmental Art”. Here we will learn how to use different tools to create rich and realistic environments for your games  

• 11, 12 – In the third module you will understand how to use objects such as weapons, teleporters, and resources. Go through the gameplay objects and be certified as a CORE Game Developer.

Topic

• 1 – During the first science lesson we will use a series of logic puzzles, presented in the form of a race track. We will also have a separate lesson on the Tangram constructor.  

• 2-3 – It seems too early to talk to children at this age about physics. They may not understand anything. But this is a misconception. The main thing is to present everything correctly. There’s a great tool called Inventioneers. It is designed to explore the physics and real-time science behind various phenomena such as air, fire, magnetism and bouncing rabbits.  

• 4 – As they say, “The big journey starts with the first step.” And it really does. Today we set a step into the world of logical tasks. There will be an interesting rubber band task that the children will need to repeat what they will see. Geometry with the development of memory, assiduity and attention.    

• 5-6 – 164.8 km is the length of the longest bridge in the world. This is a task for a real engineer. We are just learning, so let’s practice building a bridge out of Lego and see who has it the most stable. We’ll also run a game in which the car will need to cross to the other side, and for this too will need to build a bridge.    

• 7 – Physical and playing mechanics. Let’s see how the gear ratio, belt drive, etc. works. Create a catapult and try to launch the projectile as far as possible. Let’s see if a castle built with the KAPLA constructor can resist your catapult.   

• 8 – Build a paper helicopter. Just as NASA engineers had to try out different versions of the Mars helicopter before coming up with a final design, students will experiment with the design of your helicopter to see what works best. 

• 9 – Children will take a close look at everyday objects with a simple USB-microscope Easi-Scope. Children will hold Easi-Scope over the rocks, branches and tissues and then take videos or photos using the single control knob with a magnification of up to 43x. 

• 10 – Combine your engineering and creative thinking skills to create a robot hand. This simple and inventive activity will show you how to create a moving, bendable hand.  

Topic

• 1-2 – There’s nothing better than teaching your child to program and think logically while playing a game. Box Island is a game for mobile devices in which boys and girls go on an exciting adventure and learn the basics of programming at the same time. Children use basic algorithmic techniques such as loops and conditional statements to solve challenging and fun problems.  

•   3-4 – Once you’ve mastered icon-based coding, you can give commands and move through the unique worlds of the SpriteBox game. On the same day we will assemble the Hanoi Tower constructor and see if you can build it higher than your classmate. This way we will practice dexterity and resourcefulness.   

•   5 – Previously, to create a computer game had to spend a lot of time and effort. Now it is so easy that it can cope with a 5 year old child. Appendix “Draw Your Game” allows you to create a game in a few steps. It is enough to draw a game on paper and run the application. And in 10 seconds there will be a game. Sounds really fantastic – but it works.   

•   6 – A picture that comes to life. If I had heard this 10 years ago, I wouldn’t have believed it. But now with augmented reality technology – it’s possible. You paint over the picture with different colors, point your tablet’s camera, and it comes to life. There goes the virtual friend you created.   

•   7 – Monument Valley is a mesmerizing puzzle game. The player leads the princess Ida through mazes of optical illusions and impossible objects while manipulating the world around her to reach various platforms. This game is perfect to develop child’s curiosity. 

•  8 – To get out of the labyrinth, you have to turn in one direction all the time.  Do you think it is possible? If there is no definite answer, you need to check it. And if you also put cards with pictures in the maze, can you remember the sequence.   

•   9-10 – Frame animation is a great way to bring toys and other objects to life and learn the basics of filmmaking. Ask the question, what does this have to do with games? Well, it’s graphics design and animation of game characters. Let’s use Stop Motion Studio.  

•   11-12 – A puzzle game in which you have to connect the pipes of the same color. At first glance it seems simple, but with each level it will be more and more confusing and interesting. And yes, you’ll have to rack your brains to solve it all.

Topics

• 1 – Everyone would probably be interested in going on a faraway trip, straight to the Arctic. You could see polar bears, and other inhabitants of the icy continent there. I wonder what you know about the coldest place on Earth. Let’s discuss this in class and build a Lego model of our snowmobile so we can drive it right to the Pole.

• 2 – Do you think it is possible to travel across the ocean in a boat? Let’s think together about the obstacles and dangers people would face if they wanted to make such a journey. We will not sail ourselves, but we will help our traveler to build a model Lego boat for such a long voyage.

• 3 – Many parts of our planet are not fully explored. One of those objects are caves. They can be both underground and underwater. To explore the mysteries of the caves we first need to build a model of a cave exploration machine. And then we virtually go to explore the dark depths of our Earth. I wonder who we can meet there.

• 4 – The Sahara is the largest hot desert on the planet. And even in the middle of the heat, sun and oven you can meet its inhabitants. Let’s build a scorpion out of a construction set and see if we can tame it with a computer. And of course discuss why there is so much sand in the desert.

• 5 – The depths of the underwater world have always attracted man. It’s like an unexplored world with its own flora and fauna. Yes, there are many deep submersibles now to explore the oceans, but we will do our part, too. We will build our own model of a submersible. Maybe it will be more advanced than the ones already in use.

• 6 – Let’s build and program the robot to explore and perform various special missions. Discuss where it can be used in real life. It will move along the route and report that it has passed the checkpoints.

• 7 – Imagine that by some miracle you find yourself on a desert island. How would you live there, what would you eat and what kind of house would you build. Let’s discuss how you could survive in such a situation and what you would need for that. Assemble a model of a dinosaur that could survive on a desert island from ancient times.

• 8 – Let’s assemble with children a project of an oil well and a pump. Seeing how it works, maybe together we can figure out how to make it work more efficiently. And maybe even one of you will suggest a way for mankind to stop extracting black gold.

• 9 – Knowing from the last lesson how oil is obtained, we should try to minimize its extraction. We need to look for new ways of alternative energy. One of these is a wind power generator. Let’s create such a project, and find out how effective it is in places where there are frequent winds.

• 10 – How to get up the mountain as quickly as possible? That’s right, with the help of a cable car. And what ropeway have you rode recently? Do you know how it works? When you put together the design of the cable car and understand how it works, you will learn a lot of interesting and useful things. You’ll learn that it’s all very safe, and even if before you were afraid to ride – now you obviously want to do it.

• 11 – It seems that there is nothing complicated and interesting in the matter of clearing snow. But in fact, it’s not all that simple, especially in mountainous areas. There are a lot of roads, railroad tracks, and sidewalks that need to be cleared. And unique vehicles are created for this purpose. We’ll create our own snowplow, and see if it alone can handle all the tasks.

• 12 – A unique amusement park project. Children will be able to assemble several rides during the lesson. Carousel, and a Ferris wheel. Perhaps they will dream up and assemble their own Lego ride. And, of course, we’ll consider everything about safety on such rides.