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Teacher Toolbox icon Teacher Toolbox - Introduce the Play Section

  

In this Play section, groups will be introduced to the V5 Optical Sensor on the Workcell. They will create a project where the arm uses the electromagnet to pick up two colored disks (red and blue), use the Optical Sensor to determine their color, and drop each disk in their drop off location based on the color detected by the sensor.

They will display the (x, y, z) coordinates on the V5 Brain’s screen to find the locations that the arm will need to move to in order to pick up two colored disks, place the disks over the Optical Sensor, and then drop off the disks. Groups will then use these locations to explore how to trigger behaviors of the arm by building a project that uses the {When brain screen pressed} hat block. 
When pressed

Groups will complete the activity by successfully picking up one red disk and one blue disk, determining their color based on the Optical Sensor, and then dropping them off in their respective drop off locations.

What the Teacher Will Do:

  • Bring students together for whole-class instruction.
  • Introduce the Lab to the students.
    • Tell students now that they have explored coding the arm to pick up and sort a disk manually using a UI on the Brain's screen, they will create a project to pick up and sort disks using the Optical Sensor to determine the color of the disks.

    • They will first display the (x, y, z) coordinates on the Brain’s screen to find the locations that the arm will need to move to in order to pick up disks, detect their color over the Optical Sensor, and drop off the disks. Then, they will use these locations to code the arm to pick up and sort each disk based on the color detected by the Optical Sensor.

  • Tell students that in their groups, they will create the 'Lab 8- Manual Move' project in VEXcode V5. This project will display x, y, and z-coordinates on the Brain to obtain the points needed for the rest of the Play activity.

Teacher Toolbox icon Teacher Toolbox - Facilitating the Manual Move Example page

What the Teacher Will Do:

  • Keep students together for a whole-class discussion about the activity.
  • Instruct students that they will be working together in their groups to follow the steps on this page.
  • Ensure each group of students has their devices to run VEXcode V5 and to view this page in the Lab.
  • Tell students to check in with you once they have completed the steps on this page.
  • Break students off to work within their groups. Walk around the room as students are working to answer any questions if they arise.
  • As groups check in, ensure they have built their project correctly before moving on. Guidance for the check in is provided in a Teacher Toolbox at the bottom of this page.

For more information about how to facilitate this activity, go to the V5 Workcell Educator Certification.

In this Play section, you will be introduced to the V5 Optical Sensor on the Workcell. You will create a project where the arm uses the electromagnet to pick up two colored disks (red and blue), use the Optical Sensor to determine their color, and drop each disk in their drop off location, based on the color detected by the sensor. The red and blue drop off locations are shown in this image.

Red and blue drop off locations

You will display the (x, y, z) coordinates on the V5 Brain’s screen to find the locations that the arm will need to move to in order to pick up two colored disks, place the disks over the Optical Sensor, and then drop off the disks. You will then use these locations to explore how to trigger behaviors of the arm by building a project that uses the {When brain screen pressed} hat block. 

You will complete the activity by successfully picking up one red disk and one blue disk, determining their color based on the Optical Sensor, and then dropping them off in their respective drop off locations.

Materials Required:
Quantity Materials Needed
1 per group

V5 Workcell

1 per group

VEXcode V5

1 per group

Engineering Notebook

1 per group

Device to run VEXcode V5

1 per group

Micro-USB cable

2 per group

Colored Disks (1x red, 1x blue)

In order to code the arm to sort two colored disks using the Optical Sensor, you first need to build the 'Lab 8- Manual Move' project.

In VEXcode V5, follow the steps in this video to open the 'Arm Manual Movement' example project, input your mastering values, adjust the tool to electromagnet, name, and then save the project as 'Lab 8- Manual Move.' 

Ensure you are using your mastering values, and not the ones displayed in this video. 

Download and run the project. (x, y, z) values will be displayed on the Brain's screen.

Download and runBrain screen

Place a red colored disk into the disk pick up location and then manually move the arm to Point 1. Point 1 is directly above the disk pick up location. Record the (x, y, z) coordinates of Point 1 in your engineering notebook.

reds

For Your Information

The x and y-coordinate values of Point 1 and Point 2 will be very similar, if not the same. Because the arm should only move down to contact a disk between Point 1 and Point 2, the z-axis is the only axis that is significantly changing.

ZCoord

Manually move the arm to Point 2. Point 2 is where the electromagnet comes in contact with the red disk. Record the (x, y, z) coordinates of Point 2 in your engineering notebook.

step 4

Manually move the arm to Point 3. Point 3 is where the disk is just above the Optical Sensor. Record the (x, y, z) coordinates of Point 3 in your engineering notebook.

sems

Manually move the arm to Point 4. Point 4 is where the disk is just above the standoffs of the red drop off location. Record the (x, y, z) coordinates of Point 4 in your engineering notebook.

step 6

Place the red disk in the red drop off location and put a blue disk on the electromagnet. Then, manually move the arm to Point 5. Point 5 is where the blue disk is just above the standoffs of the blue drop off location. Record the (x, y, z) coordinates of Point 5 in your engineering notebook.

blue

Once you have finished recording all five points, stop the project and check in with your teacher.

Stop the Project

Teacher Tips icon Teacher Tips

  • Saving a VEXcode V5 project may look different depending on the device that your students are using. For more information on how to save on a specific devices, view the Save a Blocks Project (iPadChromebookWindowsmacOS) articles from the Knowledge Base.
  • For more information on opening example projects, view this article from the Knowledge Base.
  • Remind students that their mastering values will be different than the one shown in the video. Students should be using their values, and not the values from the video.
  • For additional tips, go to the V5 Workcell Educator Certification. 

Teacher Toolbox icon Teacher Toolbox - Check in

  

Review the following with the group during their check in:

  • Ensure their project contains the correct mastering values and the tool plate is set to 'electromagnet.'
    set magnet
  • Check that groups have Points 1-5 recorded in their engineering notebook. 
    • Students may need to adjust the location values multiple times when testing to obtain a more accurate location.
    • Remind students that the z-coordinate value should raise the arm up enough to not collide with any standoffs, especially when transporting a disk.