Robotics

Our robotics courses demonstrate our commitment to preparing our students for success in the 21st century.

Through robotics, students engage in the engineering design process to identify problems, generate solutions, design, build, and improve upon their robots and programs.

Students learn about mechanical engineering, fundamentals of automation, and visual and text-based programming in a collaborative, challenging, reflective, and fun environment. Our goal is to provide students with the experiences and knowledge to pursue further robotic and computer science-based interests.

Advanced Robotics:

 

Advanced Robotics offers students an introduction to mechanical design and engineering while further developing their skill and knowledge in text-based programming. Students use VEX components to build robots according to design specifications. They will extend the programming skills taught in 7th grade robotics by increasing their understanding of functions, libraries, and specific tasks. This course is challenge based and students will need to solve a variety of problems by both adapting the design of their robots and the structure of their programs. The culminating challenge is a competition that requires students to be competent in both driver control and autonomous coding skills. Inherent in all robotic courses at TAS is the incorporation of the design process. Students who complete this course will be well placed to succeed in robotic and computer programming courses offered by the next grade level.

 

Robotics:

 

Grade 7 Robotics uses RobotC Graphical to continue to develop programming skills as students' progress towards text-based programming. In this course, students encounter a series of challenges with increasing complexity. Students are required to use the process of design to develop both engineering and programming solutions to these challenges. As students code, they will learn about programming syntax and control structures while drawing on math skills and knowledge to utilize encoders and other sensors in their programs. Inherent in all robotic courses at TAS is the incorporation of the design process. Students who complete this course will be well placed to succeed in robotics courses offered by the next grade level.

 

In Grade 6 Robotics, students have the opportunity to build, program, and test robots through a series of engaging challenges. The tasks are designed to introduce basic robotic concepts as well as kindle a curiosity and enthusiasm for the field of study. Using the Lego Mindstorms NXT kits, students practice important skills such as analyzing, problem-solving, proposing, and testing solutions. They will consider the role of robots in society and how a robot draws upon sensors, computers, and actuators to accomplish a task. In programming, they will learn basic concepts such as conditional statements, exceptions, loops, and parallel programming. In building, they apply engineering concepts such as gear ratios and weight distribution. The final course challenge brings all the concepts together as students work together to enter completely student-designed robots into a Battle Bot competition.