Take our musical talents to the next level as Piperbot and Pip jam out with their new Adult Zomar buddy on a piano made of resistors. Ask students: “What is your code measuring to know when and what sound to play? How is this different from your ultrasonic drum?”
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Troubleshooting Tips
Are some notes failing to play when you touch the jumper wire to the resistors?
Make sure you touch the jumper wire to the metal part of the resistor instead of the plastic.
Ensure that you have set up the resistors correctly with the metal leads lined up along the rails so they complete the circuit. Check the wiring diagram if you’re not sure.
Why do you have to be careful with the top portion of the Pico?
Touching the green wire to the areas marked with the yellow triangles ⚠️ will cause a short circuit and could damage your Pico module. Be careful!
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Robotics EXPEDITION RESOURCES
Vocabulary Words
Robot A device that can execute a task independent of direct human control or activity
Feedback Sensors Instruments that robots can use to adjust based on the environment
Servo Motor Self-contained electric devices that precisely rotate or push parts of a machine
Autonomous vehicle Vehicle that can operate without direct human control, usually through a
built-in autopilot system
Bionics Using biological systems (e.g., dogs, humans) for the development and design of new robots
A servo, which is short for servomotor, is a special kind of motor that is used to control something by moving it. A simple motor moved by spinning continuously. A servo turns to a specific position and it uses gears to transform the high speed of the motor into more force so it can move things more easily.
The servo is connected using three wires: one for ground, one for power, and one for a signal that tells the servo motor what position to turn to. The Pico tells the servo what position to turn to by changing the width of the pulse that it is sending out. A pulse with a shorter "ON" time will turn to one side, and a pulse with a longer "ON" time will turn to the opposite side.
The motor inside of the servo turns very fast, but it is also weak - it cannot apply very much force. The gears inside the servo convert the motor's high speed and low force into a slower speed with more force.
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Piper Make Base Station or Starter Kit
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
