In this design challenge, students will receive the task of improving an existing toy design called a Wigglebot. The Wigglebot can wiggle through the use of a DC motor, a machine that transforms electric energy into mechanical energy in the form of rotation.
Students will learn about electricity and circuitry before taking on the challenge of adding more features to this toy.
The students will be presented with the following problem:
“Maria’s company currently sells Wigglebots, but has gotten feedback from her market research that they need to do more than just wiggle. She is looking to improve the design of this toy to include more features while keeping its’ same look.”
Students will put on their engineering hats to help Maria improve the design of her toy! Students will engage in a STEM challenge to design a Wigglebot that can produce light and sound while still being able to wiggle.
Students will work to understand how devices like a three-speed fan or a dimmer switch adjust the flow of electricity in a circuit to have different outputs.
In this activity, students will use computational thinking to write a code sequence for a drone to survey an arctic map. This activity is based on the work done by Northrop Grumman in Operation Polar Eye.
