Robotic Receptionist Course Outline - Jan 2008

Approx. 8 weeks @ 6 hours/week = 48 hours

(Tues, Wed, Thurs, 9am - 11am, 2 hours each day, every other week starting Jan 29, 2008)

Nine 10th grade students will participate

Students will:

1) Maintain a detailed Power Point lab book.

2) Document and measure their performance in an Excel spread sheet.

2) Research various robotic technologies.

3) Write a design specification.

4) Modify and build mechanical and electrical components for a robot.

5) Write UI and control computer programs

6) Exercise written, verbal and design presentation skills.

Goals - Students should have a working knowledge of:

1) Power Point

2) Excel

3) HTML

4) Logical programming using Labview and Scratch (developed at MIT)

5) Distributed processing computer architecture

6) Basic mechanical leverage and gear train principles

7) Project management tools

8) Research techniques

2007 Massachusetts Vocational Technical Education Framework Strands addressed in this program include:

Strand 2) Technological Knowledge and Skills (Industrial)

Strand 3) Embedded Academic Knowledge and Skills

Strand 4) Employability Knowledge and Skills

Strand 6) Technological Knowledge and Skills (Computer)

Teams:

1) Derek, Zak, Tim

2) Ariel, Ricardo, Luis

3) Boaz, Adderly, Sal

Robotic Receptionist Course Outline - Jan 2008

Week 1: Jan 29

  1. How can you benefit from this project? You will:

-learn to use valuable tools

-experience managing a complex project

-practice important presentation skills

-develop a portfolio

  1. Present the problem and mission
  2. Present the importance of teamwork (Extreme Programming)
  3. Present three ways to present your ideas
  4. Present four phases of project management (4 D’s)
  5. Start a Power Point lab book
  6. Research existing robotic receptionists
  7. Brainstorm and filter robotic receptionist ideas
  8. Set up a performance Excel spread sheet
  9. Define the problem.
  10. Define the customer.
  11. Define the goals.
  12. What is the filter by which we must sort all the brainstorms?
  13. 5 Problem solving techniques
  14. Deliverables

-Working prototype worthy of media attention

-Power Point Lab Book

-Web site

-Project presentation

  1. Start a Web site

Week 2: Feb 12

  1. Present five problem solving techniques.
  2. Develop an Excel spread sheet to predict the cost effectiveness of a Robotic Receptionist.
  3. Edit job performance spread sheet.
  4. Complete Web site home page.
  5. Present computer organizing and filing conventions.

Week 3: Mar 4

Rebuild components

Edit programming and resources

  1. Present three reasons to use a gear train. (Discuss analogy to electronic amplifiers.)
  2. Intro to Robolab
  3. Build Go switch, Selector switch, Gear train
  4. Why are gear trains useful?
  5. Show how R4D4 works.
  6. Edit R4D4 programming and resources

Robotic Receptionist Course Outline - Jan 2008

Week 4, Mar 18

Rebuild components

Edit programming and resources

  1. Research why companies are building robots that look like humans.
  2. What are 3 features that pass our filter?
  3. Test and refine selector switch
  4. Make GO and Selector lables
  5. Webcast intro with Liu Huan
  6. Edit R4D4 programming and resources
  7. Write and record audio clips
  8. Update Web site with pictures
  9. Improve robot motions

Week 5, Apr 1

Rebuild components

Edit programming and resources

  1. Distributed processing
  2. Test/Fine tune Robolab program
  3. Write and record audio clips
  4. Make selector switch labels (temp)
  5. Add pictures and text to Web site
  6. Integrate GEC (Webcast with Liu Huan)
  7. Fine tune presentation

Week 6, Apr 15

Integrate, test and document

Edit programming and resources

  1. Test/Fine tune Robolab program
  2. Write and record audio clips
  3. Integrate MCAS question
  4. Design and integrate directions PPT.
  5. Make selector switch labels (final)
  6. Integrate GEC

Update Web site

Fine tune presentation

Week 7, May 5

Integrate, test and document

1) Edit audio, PPT and HTML content for R4D4

2) Complete Web site

3) Test and edit microprocessor interaction

4) Edit candy dispenser

Week 8, May 19

Schedule presentations

Research Business Plan

Write sections of a business plan

Robot Receptionist

Review Session

1)What is the problem we are solving?

2)What is our mission?

3)What are our 4 deliverables?

4)What are our measures of success?

5)What is the concept of Extreme Programming?

6)What are 3 ways to present your ideas?

7)What are the criteria by which we are measuring job performance

8)Describe 4 phases of project management.

9)Describe 5 problem solving techniques.

Robotic Receptionist

To Do List / Extra Credit

Jan 2008

  1. What do machines or robots do well?
  1. What do humans do well?
  1. What drives humans to work hard?
  1. What does 'teamwork' mean?
  1. What does 'professionalism' mean?
  1. What does ‘initiative’ mean?
  1. How many American jobs are being lost to other countries and why?
  1. How is working in America better and worse than working in other countries?
  1. What are 3 different types of filters and what are audio, mechanical and idea filter examples?
  1. What functionality will make our robotic receptionist memorable and valuable?
  1. Find 2 references on what it costs to hire a receptionist. Compile all the costs in an Excel spread sheet. Assume that our robot will cost $30,000 plus $6,000 per year in maintenance. When does a company start to get a return on its investment in a robotic receptionist? Graph how much a company can save over 5 years?
  1. Organize tools and sort LEGO parts

Review Session:

1)What is the problem and mission?

2)What are our 4 deliverables?

3)What is the concept of extreme programming?

4)What are 3 ways to present your ideas?

5)What are the criteria by we measure job performance?

6)Name 4 phases of project management?

7)What are 5 problem solving techniques?