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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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Robotics expedition

Mission 7 of 9

Robotics expedition: Mission 7 of 9

Runaway Rover


Advanced

1 hour

Grades 3 - 8

MISSION OBJECTIVE

Learn about rotational servo motors to make a robot move and also learn about the concept of programming functions.

The Zomars are onto Piperbot and Pip after Walker’s stunning win in the Walker Race mission! Now we’ve got an angry mob of Zomars that we’ve got to escape from – thank goodness we’ve found the parts to build a vehicle to get away. Build and code your Runaway Rover and learn how to move and turn.

View student interface at make.playpiper.com
MISSION CHARACTERS

Pip

Piperbot

Adult Zomar
MISSION MATERIALS

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

MISSION RESOURCES

Learning Goals

  1. Students will build, calibrate, and program a Rover using continuous rotation motors, directional motor control, and function-based code organization to navigate a course through scripted movement sequences.
  2. Students will understand the structure of a blueprint and how to read one accurately to successfully build the desired object/robot/etc.
  3. Students will understand the role of each wiring component: Voltage (5V in this case), ground, job of resistor and what is the purpose of connecting wires to the 0 & 1 slot.
  4. Students will learn how time and speed are related
I WILL BE ABLE TO...
  • Write functions that control my Rover to move forward, backward, left, and right
  • Combine movement functions into a sequence to navigate my Rover through obstacles
  • Adjust motor speeds and wait times to control how far my Rover moves

Learning Activities

The following sections will contain step by step instructions for ELA, ELD and Math extensions directly related to this Mission. Adjust the directions to fit your ELA, ELD and Math standards.

ELA Extension: How I Lost Control (reflection / narrative) Have students work independently to write a one, three or five paragraph story about a time that they lost control. It could be when they were upset, were riding a bike too fast, running too fast or even moving too slow for a situation.
  • Have students reflect back on a situation that they experienced directly or witnessed
  • What consequences happened becua they were too fast or too slow, etc?
  • Have them include how the speed affected their accuracy, timing, etc. that led to the consequences
  • Have them include what they would have done differently and the lesson or lessons they learned from that situation
  • Make sure students share their story with two other students for feedback and make the appropriate changes
  • Add a dash of art into this activity by giving the option to draw their robot during the dancing competition, winning, losing, etc.
ELD Extension: Lost Control Theater Create pairs or a group of 3 students up with varying EL levels in the group, i.e. one EO with 2 ELs, two EOs with one EL, please avoid having students at the same level working together.
  • Students will write a short script about a situation where someone loses control
  • The character can lose controls emotionally or physically, this is entirely up to the group
  • Make sure that students include how control is lost, tying it back to the speed, time, etc
  • Students will practice their play with other groups and then perform it in front of the class
  • Make sure students include lines in their native language, i.e. Spanish, German, etc. and have one of the members be the voice over to translate
  • A second option for these lines is to use butcher paper to create subtitles that a partner holds up as they speak, almost as if the students are watching it on TV
Math Extension: How Are Speed and Time Related? Pair students up or allow them to pick their partners
  • Partner A will be rotating, Partner B will be in charge of rotating Partner A. They will eventually switch roles
  • Connect back to the Runaway Rover activity and ask them to describe what the connection between speed and time is
  • Students will need plenty of space so working outside will be beneficial
  • Students will develop a slow walk speed, a regular walk speed and a fast walk speed
  • Partner A will go first and Partner B will measure how long each walks takes to get from a predetermined Point A and Point B
  • They will switch roles and collect the information
  • Students will work to figure out how many times faster each walk speed is versus each other
  • Create a small obstacle course of varying items that will require students to adapt using each of their walk speeds
  • Have students reflect and share why they used a specific walk speed versus the others

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

Runaway Rover

Blueprint

DOWNLOAD BLUEPRINT

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

Troubleshooting Tips

  • Align the servos
  • When mounting the servos, make sure that each servo is positioned so that the motors are furthest apart (see image below)


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


Robot A device that can execute a task independently of direct human control or activity.

Feedback Sensors Instruments that robots can use to make adjustments based on their readings.

Servo Motor Self-contained electric devices that precisely rotate or push machine parts.

Autonomous Vehicle A vehicle that can operate without direct human control, usually through a built-in autopilot system.

Bionics When we use biological systems (e.g., dogs, humans) to develop and design new robots.

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Standards Alignment