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Cleaning the Floor Using a Robot: Intro to Random Numbers
Content Provider | TeachEngineering: STEM curriculum for K-12 |
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Author | Grand, Raymond Le Greenman, Lester |
Copyright Year | 2015 |
Description | Posed with a paradigmatic engineering problem, students consider and explore mathematical algorithms and/or geometric concepts to devise possible solutions. The problem: How should a robotic vacuum move in order to best clean a floor of unknown shape and dimensions? Posed with a paradigmatic engineering problem, students consider and explore mathematical algorithms and/or geometric concepts to devise possible solutions. The problem: How should a robotic vacuum move in order to best clean a floor of unknown shape and dimensions? They grapple with what could be a complex problem by brainstorming ideas, presenting the best idea for a solution and analyzing all presented solutions, and then are introduced to an elegant solution. Rather than elaborately calculating the most efficient route and keeping track of which tiles the robot has visited, a random number generator determines which direction the robot will take when it hits a barrier. Students are able to visually confirm how an unfamiliar programming concept (a random number generator) can make for a simple and efficient program that causes an EV3 robot (that is suitably equipped) to clean a bare floor. Then students think of other uses for random numbers. |
Language | English |
Access Restriction | Open |
Rights Holder | Regents of The University of Colorado Polytechnic Institute of New York University |
Subject Keyword | Number and Operations Science and Technology Robot Nondeterministic Random Number Generator Computer Language Computer Program Computer Software Random Number Software Programming |
Content Type | Text |
Time Required | PT1H30M |
Education Level | Class VI Class VII Class VIII |
Pedagogy | Experimental Activity |
Resource Type | Hands-on |
Subject | Mathematics Technical |