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PIPER COMPUTER

Everything you need to teach STEAM effectivly using the Piper Computer Kit.

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PIPER MAKE

Teach fundamental STEM skills while providing a bridge to career connected learning.

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EDUCATOR PORTAL

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ALL MAKE GUIDES


  1. Security Zone
  2. Ultrasonic Drum
  3. Resistor Piano
  4. Walker Race
  5. Walker Dance
  6. Walker Detect
  7. Runaway Rover
  8. Rover Sensor Steering

  1. Lighthouse
  2. Frog Frenzy
  3. Game Controller
  4. Minecraft Controller
  5. Retro Racer

  1. Security Zone
  2. Ultrasonic Drum
  3. Resistor Piano
  4. Ther-Mood-Stat
  5. Color Coded
  6. Pulse

  1. Beam Break
  2. Car Race
  3. Motion Ball

  1. Solar House
  2. Soil Sensor
  3. Air Guitar

  1. Light Show
  2. Light Show Animation

Make-A-Thon

PIPER MAKE

EDUCATOR GUIDES


YOU ARE HERE

Base expedition

Bonus Project 2 of 4

Base expedition: Mission 2 of 14

Ultrasonic Drum


Beginner

1 hour

Grades 3 - 8

MISSION OBJECTIVE

Learn how to play the Distance Sensor as an instrument.

Piperbot and Pip need help soothing Baby Zomar to sleep. Play your Distance Sensor as an instrument to help. Ask students: “How does your instrument know when and what sound to play? How does an electric keyboard know how to make a sound?”

View student interface at make.playpiper.com
MISSION CHARACTERS

Piperbot

Pip

Baby Zomar
MISSION MATERIALS

Computer with USB port and Chrome or Edge browser
Piper Make Base Station

MISSION RESOURCES

Learning Goals

  1. Students will use the distance measured by your Distance Sensor to play different notes like an instrument (particularly like a drum!).
  2. Students will understand how to use variables, loops, and conditionals to convert distances to different notes using list mapping.
  3. Students will understand how the Distance Sensor measures distance using sound waves that bounce off objects.

Career Connections

Robotics Engineer: Salary $104,600/yr
Automotive Engineer: Salary $95,300/yr
Civil Engineer: Salary $88,050/yr
Electro-Mechanical and Mechtronics Technicians: Salary $60,570/yr

Hardware Diagram




Code Diagram




Tutorial Steps

Ultrasonic Drum

Blueprint

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Have an different version? Look for more information on the Support Page.

Troubleshooting Tips

  • Is the Distance Sensor not measuring distance?
    • Pay extra attention to the wiring diagram for this one.
    • Verify all your electrical connections, including that your Pico is connected to your computer.
    • It is common for the connections to be off by 1 or 2 holes. We recommend going through each build to ensure the connections are correct.
    • Don’t worry! One of the wires (NC) does not need to be connected.
  • How does the Distance Sensor work? 
    • The Distance Sensor emits sound waves and measures the time it takes for them to bounce back. Measuring this determines the distance.

Our customer support specialists are on hand to ensure your implementation of Piper runs seamlessly.
View Support Docs or Contact Support
EXPANDED RESOURCES

Term Glossary


Circuit A conductive path for the flow of current or electricity.

Power The current or flow of electric charge and voltage.

Microcontroller An integrated circuit containing a microprocessor with memory and associated circuits.

Variables A value that can change depending on conditions or information passed to the program. A storage location with a symbolic name used to keep track of a value that can change while a program is running (similar concept to using X and Y in an algebraic equation). Variables are not only numbers; they can also hold text, including whole sentences (strings) or logical values (true or false).

Input Device A hardware device that sends data to a computer, allowing interaction and control.

Output Device A piece of hardware that converts information into a form humans can sense and understand.

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Standards Alignment