- Buy a set of trays with different compartments to place individual pieces within each compartment.
- Have these trays put out for students to collect parts.
- Students should use a serving tray, with a high edge/lip so pieces don’t easily slide off, to collect parts.
- Students should use trays to build on.
- Make a game in the end of class. The student to collect the most parts from the floor and turn it in will get ____ points extra toward your team points.
- Clean LEGO and wire cords with a very very very mild cleaning solution.
- Use a box to place both robot and IR tower under it to program (this will prevent programming other robots in the same room).
- Keep students from slipping things into their bags. Parts will walk into student's bags and pockets if you don’t watch.
- Don’t allow students to build spinning tops.
- Ensure all computers that you have have working copies of Robolab with updates already installed.
- Make sure all towers work and all batteries in the RCX box are fresh enough to work properly.
- When two gears are going against each other, or a motor is working against a force that it can’t handle, this will give a battery warning and may shut down RCX. Don’t just change batteries. Check the whole thing.
- Don’t allow parts on bracings and/or supports to bend unless it was meant too.
- Do not allow students to tape or glue parts together.
- LEGO Robotic Kits – you will need one kit for each group of 2 to 5 students. The types of kits can vary, but you want to make sure you have motors, an RCX, touch and light sensors, and a variety of LEGO Bricks within each kit.
- Computers – will need access to at least one computer per each group of 2 to 5 students. Computers with Internet access are preferred for the research portion of the program. A USB port is needed for the Infrared Towers included with your kits.
- ROBOLAB software –ROBOLAB v2.5.4 installed on each computer the students will be using. If you have an Intel Mac, the Robolab v2.5.4. software will not work as you need OS9 to access ROBOLAB v2.5.4. Windows XP has some issues as well. So, be sure each installation works. ROBOLAB on Windows XP can crash from time to time.
- Safe Storage – the LEGO kits are expensive and should
be stored in a locked storage area. You will need to be able to store the team's projects in a safe area away from student hands.
Programming hints:
If you want to know where the program is, you may want to put a series of beeps or tones (different high and low pitches) that will indicate where the program is at. For example, if I have two things that could happen, sort of a “This could happen, or that could happen” statement, it might be a good idea to put one pitch on one side and another pitch on another side. If you have lamps, it might be a good idea to use those so you can tell the difference between one pitch from another.
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Legend:
+ IR Tower - USB or seriel device that connects to your computer. This tower allows the computer to communicate (program) to the RCX box (yellow microcontroller).