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

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ALL MAKE GUIDES


  1. Walker Race
  2. Walker Dance
  3. Walker Detect
  4. DJ Piperbot
  5. Walker Controller
  6. Canyon Slide
  7. Runaway Rover
  8. Rover Controller
  9. Self-Driving Rover

  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

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Base expedition

Mission 10 of 14

Base expedition: Mission 10 of 15

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
Meet
the Cast
  Print Educator Guide   Student Worksheet    Student Quiz    Support
MISSION MATERIALS
MISSION RESOURCES Learning Goals Career Connections Hardware Diagram Code Diagram Tutorial Steps Blueprint Troubleshooting Tips
EXPANDED RESOURCES Term Glossary Standards Alignment
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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.
I WILL BE ABLE TO...
  • Understand how an ultrasonic sensors measure distance
  • Use code to associate distance to different sounds
  • Combine movement, sensors, and sound into an interactive system

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

DOWNLOAD BLUEPRINT

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


CSTA Framework   Base Kit Standards Alignment
ISTE Framework   Base Kit Standards Alignment
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