Welcome to Robotics!

Robotics at Gates Intermediate School

Mr. Carrison
C108

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8th Grade Study Blog at VERY END OF BLOG
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8th Graders ----- Be ready for an OPEN NOTE DDM test on last day of term.  Will be on programming, tools, sensors and safety. 

7th Graders ---- Be ready for an OPEN NOTE SAFETY, TOOL ID, GUIDELINES DDM TEST on the last day of the term.

 AGAIN.....

since it will be an OPEN NOTE test.....

SHOULD YOU BE TAKING NOTES?????

Remember you are in school to "Learn to Earn."

This was the company's below corporate training motto when I worked as a Dodge dealership line mechanic in the 70's!  I had a 70 Challanger this color while in college!

Required NOTEBOOK:

• Simple folder with holes to secure note paper is prefered
• Must have section LABELED handouts -5 points if not done
• Decorate cover to insure full 50 points credit.  No effort = max of 45

See Word doc attached to homework and notebook grade section on ASPEN for detailed info
Parents - All were showed examples of what I want for this simple homework grade in class. 

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7th Grade Study Blog Section 
7th Grade Study Blog Section 
7th Grade Study Blog Section
 (8th Grade Section towards bottom)
 (8th Grade Section towards bottom)
 (8th Grade Section towards bottom) 

Remember... Safety is NO Accident!!!

Check out study guide after VEX safety rules  

Parents:

How are your  child's NOTES?  PARENTS HAVE YOU CHECK YOUR CHILD'S NOTES?
Note:  Some students are choosing to take notes in their robotics journal and may not have these at home as they leave them in their robot kit box.  They CAN take these home any time they choose.

It always shocks me how few kids take notes!  Please feel free to ask me why 50% of my students failed my classes when I taught college!  Guess what was one of the MAJOR REASONS for their choosing to fail???

Yes.... of course I model some of the note taking to expose them to MY note taking style.  Please consider sharing some of your tricks and tips on note taking to your kid.

Are they choosing to use the study blog???  How about the Dept of Ed's MCAS question search web page?  Awesome way to study for the spring 8th grade MCAS and the upcoming Robotics DDM post test.  DDM= District Determined Measure

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Make sure to see study question section AFTER the VEX safety rules

The following was taken from the VEX web site:

Safety is no accident (Sound familiar? - Interesting they should start with this statement!!!)

While the VEX development system itself is not inherently dangerous to use, anyone working with metal parts and tools needs to have a safe attitude and work in safe ways. The most important aspect of safety is to think safety at all times. It is well-known in workshops that safety starts with being aware of your work space and being sensitive to dangerous behaviors and materials. Purposefully use safety gear and follow safe practices to insure your own well-being.

Safety is not just about following rules, it’s about doing work in a way that is safe. Most of the time if you think you are behaving unsafely, you are. Stop and think before you act. The most important safety tool of all is your head. Remember: your attitude affects your behavior. If you have a positive attitude you will likely exhibit safe behavior. A negative attitude toward safety will cause carelessness, inattention, and injury.

Before working on your robot, go through these steps in your mind:

Do I have necessary safety gear such as safety glasses and hearing protection?

Is this the safest way to do this task?

Am I using the correct tools? Using the wrong tool is frequently more dangerous than using the correct one.

Are the parts secured correctly when cutting or bending? Use a vise or clamp – not your fingers.

Safety Rules:

No horseplay! Workshops are no place for irresponsible behavior such as running around, “sword fights,” throwing parts, or pushing people.

Always wear safety glasses when cutting, using tools, running robot or bending structural parts. ANYTIME in an active and/or working robotics lab!

Wear safety glasses, even if you wear normal eyeglasses. Unless you have had them specially made, eyeglasses do not offer sufficient protection from shrapnel or flying debris, and do not usually protect the eyes against debris coming from the side.

Always wear safety glasses around operating robots, and any time a battery is hooked up. Moving robot mechanisms can “sneak up on you” when you do not expect it.

Wear hearing protection when using power tools such as a Dremel or grinder. It does not take much noise to cause hearing loss.

Study all safety rules carefully and constantly apply them. When in doubt about any task, get help! DO NOT take chances! (if in doubt ASK for clarification)

Read, understand and follow the safety instructions that come with your tools. Complete safety rules for power tools would take hundreds of pages, so please refer to your tool’s manual or the OSHA power tool safety guidelines at www.osha.gov.

Always dress properly for the shop. Avoid wearing loose fitting clothing, tie up or cover long hair, and remove rings and other jewelry when using power tools. Do not wear gloves when operating power tools.

Watch your hair, fingers, and tools around robots. Even the plastic gears and chains in a VEX robot can cause painful injuries if you are not careful. Long hair is especially dangerous around operating robots so keep it under control.

Be aware of what others are doing. Safety is everyone’s responsibility – both individually and collectively.

Report unsafe conditions or practices.

Keep the shop/work area clean. Metal scraps should be disposed of in a waste bin or recycling container. Never allow scraps to remain on the bench or floor. Removing trash and debris reduces slipping and falling and generally promotes a safe work environment.

 Learn how to use your tools properly. It is foolish to operate tools without first receiving proper instructions. This applies to even the small power and hand tools used in VEX robotics. Get help if you are not sure what must be done or how a task should be performed.

 Keep the VEX parts out of your mouth, ears, nose, etc. It’s a robot, not a snack.

  

Do not short out the batteries by running a wire between the battery terminals. This can cause fire, ruined batteries, and/or explosion.

 Use batteries wisely. Do not lick batteries (DA!!!), or put terminals in your mouth. If a battery appears to be leaking or has a crystalline deposit on the outside, dispose of it immediately and wear gloves – preferably made of nitrile or other non-reactive material – when handling.

Dispose of worn-out batteries responsibly and safely. Do not throw batteries into the trash, especially rechargeable batteries. Contact your local waste disposal office for information on battery disposal. Batteries should be stored as directed by your local hazardous materials disposal office until pickup, usually in a hard-sided, waterproof, non-conductive container, such as a plastic bucket.

Antennas are not a toy. Do not use them as whips or swords, and do not put them into your mouth, eyes, ears, or nose. If the blunt tip breaks off the tip of your antenna, dispose of the antenna and replace it with a new one.

MOST of above taken from VEX online site

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STUDY GUIDE for 7th grade Robotics test:

You might also want to:

Review any hardware and parts you have used so far in assembling your robot as some of this also be on the test!

Review your notes.  Organize your notes!  Add to your notes!

Can you identify the following and match to the pictures below if given?

  

• Allen Wrench
• Shallow Socket
• Deep Socket
• Extension
• Comb Wrench
• Vernier
• Keps Nut 
• Twist Bit

• Which of the above is a keps nut?
• Which is the nylock nut?

Can you id a combination wrench? 

How about a crescent wrench?

What other wrenches were shown in class?

What is the name of the software program we use in class to BUILD the robots?

WHO is ultimately responsible for your safety?  (hint:  you see the answer everytime you brush your teeth)

Is safety a full or part time job?

Mr. Carrison likes the poster - Safety is no XXXXXX - What does it really mean???

True or False - Safety is not a joke. 

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Check out THE RULER GAME!

I got 640 points and got board so I let it time out to 3 X's.

What can you get???

Cheesy Coupon:3 Bonus Points - AT HOME cut and paste a picture of a tool we covered in class into Microsoft Word or another word processor. Name the tool and put your NAME and class PERIOD as a heading in a 20 or larger font. Hand written = zero bonus points.   My blog pictures do NOT count!!!  
(haha Brendan!)

Heck I will even give you 1 point each for another two picts of tools we covered in class! Maximum points = 5 points (3+1+1=5). No typed name and/or no typed period = zero points. Name and Period  MUST be typed to get credit!!!

Not valid in Utah or if you own a lama.

Void where taxes, regulated or prohibited. 
These points count towards term grade but not DDM improvement  figure



Best of Luck on the Test!



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8th Grade Section-8th Grade Section
8th grade Section
8th Grade Section-8th Grade Section
8th grade Section
8th Grade Section-8th Grade Section

8th grade Section

Remember you can use YOUR OWN

HANDWRITTEN notes on the test.

Parents:

How are your  child's NOTES?  PARENTS HAVE YOU CHECK YOUR CHILD'S NOTES?
Note:  Some students are choosing to take notes in their robotics journal and may not have these at home as they leave them in their robot kit box.  They CAN take these home any time they choose.

It always shocks me how few kids take notes!  Please feel free to ask me why 50% of my students failed my classes when I taught college!  Guess what was one of the MAJOR REASONS for their choosing to fail??? 

Yes.... of course I model some of the note taking to expose them to MY note taking style.  Please consider sharing some of your tricks and tips on note taking to your kid.

Are they choosing to use the study blog???  How about the Dept of Ed's MCAS question search web page?  Awesome way to study for the spring 8th grade MCAS and the upcoming Robotics DDM post test.  DDM= District Determined Measure

 

What VALUE(s) is/are sent by the bumper switch to the brain or VEX microprocessor ?  You should know this if you ran the bumper switch test code as instructed.

Digital sensors used in robotics are physically either
a) are physically either on or off.             c) give readings such as 1.22 (note decimal point)
b) read in whole numbers 1 or 2 only.      d) HEY! They are NOT used in robotics.

What PROGRAMING LANGUAGE or code type are we learning and using in robotics?

Who or what company makes our robot hardware?

Using the BUMPERTEST test program what is the DIGITAL INPUT PORT # that you should plug your 3 wire bumper switch into?

Could you ID the BUMPERTEST program if you saw it on the test???  You better be able to id it and know what port the bumper switch to be tested should be plugged in to.  This is easy to figure out IF you know how to read the code and have been paying attention.

What ports on your VEX microprocessor do you plug your bumper switch into???  Hint:  What number range?  Is it 1-10 or 5-10 or 6 to 9 or any 3 connection port that is currently available?

What value is given or sent to the robot "brain" when the bumper switch is NOT pressed?

What value is given or sent to the robot "brain" when the bumper switch IS pressed or HIT?

What is USER FUNCTION all about?  We talked about this during the programming PowerPoint presentation.... remember???

Can you distinguish between a TORX and an ALLEN wrench and/or screw?

TORX?????  What is that?????

What are the conventions or rules for naming a sensor in easyC?  Can you identify a "legal" and and "illegal" name?  What are the rules for using spaces, *&^%$#, numbers and so on?


What is the size of the VEX 2 wire motor screws?  6-32 or 8-32 or 10-32 or 1/2-20?????

Can you ID basic VEX hardware motor #6 screw vs the #8 screws?  Motor screws are 6-32 BHCS x 1/2" and all the other screws are mostly #8-32 BHCS of various lengths to assemble the chassis and other parts of the robot but NOT to secure the motors to the chassis rails.  They are simply to wide or thick.

How do the motor and screws used for everything else differ? If you saw a picture on the test (hint, hint, hint) could you tell which was the one used to screw into the motors???


Once you are done with your easyC programming how do you get the code into your robot's microprocessor or brain?

What is the difference between a digital sensor and an analog sensor as far as values that are sent to the microprocessor or brain?  Which one is either ON or OFF?

Can you recognise a VEX motor controller if you saw one?

What does the ROBOT's VEX 7.2V BATTERY like?  Does it look the same as the REMOTE's 9.6V BATTERY? 

What does a MOTOR COUPLER look like? 

Could you ID a VEX 2 WIRE MOTOR?

A BUMPER SWITCH looks like what?

Use a search engine to find an image of any VEX hardware you are unsure of being able to identify.  Example:  put VEX MOTOR COUPLER into a search engine.  You might then use the IMAGE tab if the search engine has this feature.  The VEX web site is also not a bad site to review images of hardware mentioned on the study guide.



Best of luck on the test!  Remember you can use your HANDWRITTEN notes.


3 Point Coupon: On a sheet of your paper from home in 18 + font or larger (computer only!) put your name, day and period
OK, 1 (one ) Point for up to TWO additional cool VEX robot picts for a total or 5  MAXIMUM extra credit points
Then find a picture on the web of a VEX robot design other than the base bot we built in class.
Handwritten name and etc = zero points
Valid on original test day only 
Void in Utah or if you own a llama  

Proof read and approved by James Flanagan

These points count towards term grade but not DDM improvement  figure