Foundation
Prerequisites
Skills
- Familiarity with gear ratios, perhaps developed through a hands-on program like the Society for Automotive Engineers Design Kits, or other program, is critical. No small battery powered electric motor is capable of moving the large Lego cats without taking advantage of gear ratios.
- Experiences with and explorations using 4-bar linkages allow students to better understand the movement associated with the cat’s legs.
- Understanding and proficiency in carrying out the “ design process ”in an engineering environment.
- Proficiency with computers for word processing, data collection and analysis, communicating through email and other electronic means, use of the Internet for research and information, and creating presentations
- Interest in and affinity for computer programming
- Problem solving skills
- Ability to work with others in small groups
Suggested Timeframe:
Four weeks of class, with some time beyond the normal school day
Materials, Technologies, and Resources
- At least two (2) Lego Dacta Control Lab sets or Lego Mindstorms or the Robotics Invention System (larger classes with more students involved in the project would require more kits for optimal learning by all students)
- As many additional Lego parts as possible, including gears and linkages
- Small motors as required by the design teams
- Computers for Internet research, journal entries, and communication
- One (1) copy of Boing Boing the Cat Design Log for each student. (These have been created in landscape orientation for printing; copy the four pages double sided, and fold the two pages down the middle so the title in on the front. Use a long-throated stapler to put two staples along the fold.)
