Build Exercise with the VEX Robotics Kits

1. Build Exercise with the VEX Robotics Kits

2. Teams consist of the following members: (actual number of personnel will be determined by the number of team members – varies by class) Project Leader 1 person Engineer 1 or 2 or 3 people Logistics 1 person Scientist 1 or 2 people

3. All builds must meet all the requirements to be considered completed. Builds not meeting all the requirements will lose construction points. The mechanism is to be built entirely from VEXparts provided in the lab unless otherwise noted.

4. Builds are: Pull Toy Black Windmill Red 2 / 4wd Vehicle Yellow Solar Collection Dish Blue

5. Build Storage Area Column by Row

6. Build Storage Area (Column by Row) Area Assignments

7. Pull Toy Introduction A pull-toy is pulled along the ground and a movement is produced, such as a head nods, a tail wags or a figure bobs up and down. The pull-toys use mechanisms to transfer energy from the wheels to the characters that define them.

8. Pull Toy • Procedure • With your knowledge of mechanisms, you and your partners will use the design process to design and build a mechanism or series of mechanisms that will meet the following criteria: • Sketch: • In your engineering notebook (in blue or black ink), sketch what your first solution should look like. Label the input and output and present your sketch to your instructor before you begin building. • Model: • Construct a 3D model in Autodesk Inventor 2014 of your proposed item. • Prototype: • Construct a prototype using the parts that are available in a VEX Robotics Kit. • The mechanism is to be built on a small 4 wheel chassis capable of being pulled across a table-top surface, the movement of the wheels will make the toy move. • A gear mechanism attached to the wheels will make another part of the pull toy move. • An illustration should be added to the output of the mechanism so as to simulate the toy.

9. Windmill Design Introduction As you know from your science class or Energy and the Environment unit, a windmill converts wind energy to a useful mechanical energy. One real-world use of a windmill is to grind grain into flour. The rotary movement of the sail, turned by the wind, is changed by 90º. The sail (blades) have to be able to be moved to face the wind direction.

10. Windmill Procedure Using your knowledge of the mechanisms recently built in class, design and build a windmill to grind grain into flour. The situation requires a change in direction of motion by 90º and may require a different input/output speed relationship. The structure you build will need to incorporate a mechanism to change the direction of the windmill blades and extra points if the input/output speed relationship can be changed. Your structure must be stable, rigid, and must hold the gears in proper relationship to each other. Sketch: With your knowledge of mechanisms, you and your partners will use the design process to design and build a mechanism or series of mechanisms that will meet the above criteria. In your engineering notebook (in blue or black ink), sketch what your first solution should look like. Label the input and output and present your sketch to your instructor before you begin building. Model: Construct a 3D model in Autodesk Inventor 2014 of your proposed item. Prototype: Construct a prototype using the parts that are available in a VEX Robotics Kit. The item must meet all the requirements to be considered completed. Items not meeting all the requirements will lose construction points.

11. Survival Challenge Introduction The year is 2201. The earth as we know it no longer exists. Civilization has destroyed itself through nuclear wars, pollution, and lack of respect for the environment. The human race has all but ceased to exist. A group of multi-cultural scientists, doctors, and engineers have survived by living in a biosphere for the last 20 years. As they emerge from their protected sphere, they find the earth totally destroyed. They need to rebuild the earth and civilization. They will have to rebuild using only recycled materials that can be scavenged from the countryside. You are one of the engineers assigned to complete one of the tasks. Your team’s job is to create mechanical machines that will help the scientists and doctors rebuild the earth.

12. Task 1: 2 / 4wd Vehicle • Activity: • The scientists and doctors need a vehicle that will take them over the rough terrain to search for other survivors and to collect data. • Requirements: • Needs to travel over rough terrain. • Needs to have a differential drive shaft or universal joint. • Must be able to switch from two-wheel drive to four-wheel drive. • Sketch: • In your engineering notebook (in blue or black ink), sketch what your first solution should look like. Label the input and output and present your sketch to your instructor before you begin building. • Model: • Construct a 3D model in Autodesk Inventor 2014 of your proposed item. • Prototype: • Construct a prototype using the parts that are available in a VEX Robotics Kit. The item must meet all the requirements to be considered completed. Items not meeting all the requirements will lose construction points.

13. Task 2: Solar Collection Dish • Activity: • The scientists need a machine that will rotate a solar collection dish from inside their labs. The machine must be located outside the building and around the corner. • Requirements: • Needs to have a minimum gear ratio of 1:5. • Must be located around a corner. • Needs to be angled toward the sun. • Must be able to follow the sun. • Sketch: • In your engineering notebook (in blue or black ink), sketch what your first solution should look like. Label the input and output and present your sketch to your instructor before you begin building. • Model: • Construct a 3D model in Autodesk Inventor 2014 of your proposed item. • Prototype: • Construct a prototype using the parts that are available in a VEX Robotics Kit. The item must meet all the requirements to be considered completed. Items not meeting all the requirements will lose construction points.