Robot flower

Phil Culverhouse

CRNS

University of Plymouth

Concept

• Fun

• Behaves

• For Girls & Boys

• Explores– Science– Maths– technology

School applications

• D&T: the robot flower can be designed & built by school pupils during laboratory sessions

• Electronics: design the circuits and sensors

• Computing: for control and behaviour).• Mathematics: for assessing acceleration,

inertia,• Science: measure light energy input

A behaving robot

• make it dance,

• make it react to stimulii ie. make it behave– Shrink from touch– Be bold, be shy– Change behaviour through time

• Can learn to habituate stimulii

School uses• Year 4-7: School buys kit with electronics, PIC and/or processor

options and uses them to show robot interactions; • Year 9: D&T classes design mechnical parts following classroom

guidance notes. They could be made on a laser cutter or rapid prototyper and then assembled with electronics and operated;

• Electronics ‘A’level: students design electronics control system following classroom guidance notes;

• Year 9-11: Computing class design behaviours, either single flowers or groups. Can also explore remote control methods, following class guidance notes;

• Year 6: pupils design petals and fit to flower head. Perhaps changing servo motor speeds to alter reactions to stimulii and

• Year 8-10: Mathematics pupils have known masses of each mobile part, and calculate accelerations and energy inputs etc. Again a class guidance note will suggest options.

Final design