Summer Robotics (Ages 7 - 14)

Background

Back in 2004, the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, landed on Mars with a 90-day mission. Both operated well past those 90 days, though they are no longer operational, they have provided us with a wealth of information about Mars.

Scientists have used this information to conclude two previously unknown facts:

• Long ago Mars was much wetter than it is now
• Mars could have sustained microbial life.

Missions Scientific Goal and what they found

Their Scientific Goal was to search for, and investigate, a wide range of rocks and soil to detect clues to past water activity on Mars

What they found was amazing.

• Water and Salt Water both previously existed .
• There once existed a climate that could have supported life .
• They found an Ancient Volcano !

Read more here: https://mars.nasa.gov/mer/mission/overview/

Our Challenge

Inspired by Opportunity and Spirit, we will build a rover that will capture sensory data about our community.

Working in teams, the kids will build and code a robot that will:

• Collect and store
• GPS Data (Where in our community was the robot located when we took readings)
• Atmospheric Data such as Temperature, Humidity, and Pressure.

The Rover Challenge

1. Building a robot like the Mars rover that will run in an outdoor environment.
2. Understand how to use the Sensory devices.
3. Build an external power source.
4. Use coding to manage our sensors to that our bots run independently - without a controller.
5. Attach sensory devices and start collecting data.
6. Transmit data back to central DB.

The Sharing Challenge

1. Create centralized DB
2. Create website to display data.
3. Present what we have learned and accomplished to an audience.

Learning Outcomes

• Understanding the connection between coding and robotics.
• What databases are and how they are used in coding and making.
• How data can be displayed in interesting and fun ways.
• The importance of sharing scientific data within the community.

Schedule

We will meet every Saturday from 10 am to 12PM at the Church of the Good Shepherd.

Note: We will not meet Saturday, July 27th.