Skip to main content
Teacher Portal
  • Grade(s): 9-12
  • Time: 1.5 weeks
Preview image

Description

Students will be introduced to the area of Industrial Robotics, its components, and real world applications by first updating firmware and building the VEX V5 Workcell. While building, students will run an example project to ensure the potentiometers are within the targeted value range. Students will then use an example project to display mastering values on the V5 Brain so students can record the mastering values, or 'home location,' of the Workcell. Students will also explore the four types of automation and the five types of automation facilities. After the students have explored these concepts, they will take a survey to inventory their attitudes about robotics to keep as a reference to see how their attitudes may change throughout the course.

Essential Question(s)

  • Why does the Workcell need to start operating at a ‘home location?’
  • Why are potentiometers installed on the Workcell?

Understanding(s)

Students will understand:

  • What potentiometers are and how they function.

  • What range of values the potentiometers return and how these values are used to ensure the Workcell is in its ‘home location.’

  • The difference between the 'Arm Install' example project and the 'Arm Mastering' example project in VEXcode V5.

Objective(s)

  • Identify that potentiometers are analog variable resistors, which provide a variable voltage value based on the position of the wiper arm (the piece that moves across the resistive track material) inside of the potentiometer.

  • Identify that potentiometers are used on the Workcell to identify the position of the joints on the Workcell at all times, based on the wiper position of the potentiometer.

  • Identify that potentiometers on the Workcell return a range of digital values from 0 to 4095 based on voltage.

  • Identify that the potentiometer values on the 'Arm Install' example project are the digital values of the potentiometers on the Workcell.

  • Identify that the potentiometers are required to be installed at a certain position and at a certain rotation so the Workcell knows its 'home location.'

  • Identify that the 'home location’ of the Workcell ensures that it operates within its range of motion to prevent damage.

  • Identify that the Smart Motors and potentiometers are connected to their predetermined ports on the V5 Brain. 

  • Identify that the mastering range for Joint 1 is 1600-2000.

  • Identify that the mastering range for Joint 2 is 1900-2400.

  • Identify that the mastering range for Joint 3 is 1400-1800.

  • Identify that the mastering range for Joint 4 is 200-650.

  • Identify where to download VEXcode V5.

  • Identify how to launch VEXcode V5.

  • Identify how to update the firmware on the V5 Brain.

  • Identify how to connect your device running VEXcode V5 to the V5 Brain on the Workcell. 

  • Identify how to open an example project. 

  • Identify how to download, run, and stop a VEXcode V5 project. 

  • Identify that the 'Arm Install' example project in VEXcode V5 is used to display the potentiometer values on the V5 Brain, set the motors to ‘COAST,' 'HOLD,’ or 'TARGET' to move the motors so that their associated potentiometers are within the targeted value range. 

  • Identify that the 'Arm Mastering' example project in VEXcode V5 is used to display the potentiometer values on the V5 Brain and indicate if those values are within the predetermined range (PASS) or not within the acceptable range of values (FAIL).

Vocabulary

Potentiometer
An analog variable resistor, which provides a variable voltage value based on the position of the wiper arm (the piece that moves across the resistive track material) inside of the potentiometer.
Mastering
A type of calibration process to increase the positioning accuracy of the robot.
Industrial Robot
A programmable multifunctional, manipulator used in manufacturing and similar environments.
Manipulator
A physical robot arm.
Actuator
A component which causes motion. It requires a force to move an object. An actuator provides the force to allow a robot to activate an action. Industrial Robotics use electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic actuators.

Materials Needed

Quantity Materials Needed
1 per group

V5 Workcell
1 per group

Build Instructions
1 per group

VEXcode V5
1 per group

Engineering Notebook
1 per group

Device to run VEXcode V5
1 per group

Micro-USB cable

Educational Standard(s)

  • Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) HS-ETS1-3: Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
  • International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) 4a: Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems.
  • International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) 4d: Students exhibit a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance and the capacity to work with open-ended problems.
  • Common Core State State Standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.E: Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.

Go to this page in the Knowledge Base to see a cumulative list of VEX V5 Workcell STEM Labs standards.

<  Back Return to Labs Next  >