Applying VEX 123

Connection to VEX 123

The Mars Rover: Surface Operations Unit is a great way for students to be introduced to VEXcode 123 and continue to build on their understanding of sequencing. In Lab 1, students are introduced to the Mars 2020 mission and how scientists can use robots to help them study the planet from here on Earth. Just like robotic rovers used on Mars, students will need to code their 123 Robot rover to complete a task. They will build a VEXcode 123 project to drive the 123 Robot to collect and return a sample. Students will need to sequence the project so that the 123 Robot drives to the location, waits for the sample to be collected, then plays a sound before turning and driving back to the base.

In Lab 2, students are challenged to create a project to where the 123 Robot collects and buries three different samples. They will develop a VEXcode 123 project using a sequence to have the 123 Robot drive to a location, collect a sample, play a sound, return to the base, drop off the sample, and play another sound to indicate the sample has been ‘buried,’ and repeat this process three times. Throughout both of these Units, students will practice spatial reasoning by describing how the 123 Robot is moving and how the behaviors of the robot compare to what students intended. Students will communicate the mental models of how they intend the 123 Robot to move by acting out or gesturing to explain the movements of the robot.