Programming Robotics Art:
We started our project by learning the basics of electricity. We went through a packet of questions that helped to guide our electrical inquiry. The packet showed us what types of circuits work and don't work by having us build the circuits using alligator clips, wires, and light bulb sockets. For example, if one end of the wire is not connected to the battery, then it is not a complete circuit and the light will not light up. If two ends of the wire are on the positive side or negative side of the battery, then this too is not a complete circuit. When all the pieces combine to create a complete loop to both sides of the battery with conductors and resistors, then you have a complete circuit hopefully with your desired outcome. We then looked at objects in parallel and series. In series, they are purely linked with a conductor. In parallel, a connection lies between the resistor and the other resistors. Next, came voltage and current. Current is the amount of electric flow or energy. The current will stay the same when the bulbs are in series, but the current splits when the bulbs are in parallel. Voltage is the potential energy difference, or the "push" of electricity. The voltage will split between the bulbs when they are in series, and the voltage is the same in the bulbs when they are in parallel. After "perfecting" the basic material of electric circuits, we moved on to a more advanced project of The Spark Fun Kits. The spark fun kits included a bread board and a circuit board. Instead of using a battery we connected our circuit board to the computer. We then went through the book that was part of the kit and did things like light up LEDs and play songs with a buzzer. Once we finished the book we went back into the program we were using on the computer and changed the original code around to do different things.
Reflection: I thought this project was really fun. I had never played with circuits like this before and we got to program too. My partner and I worked very well together. I really enjoyed working with The Spark Fun Kits because we got to make the lessons relevant to our lives. WE even programmed ours to play The Harry Potter theme song and New York State of Mind.
Reflection: I thought this project was really fun. I had never played with circuits like this before and we got to program too. My partner and I worked very well together. I really enjoyed working with The Spark Fun Kits because we got to make the lessons relevant to our lives. WE even programmed ours to play The Harry Potter theme song and New York State of Mind.