In this mission, apprentices will design and program their own animated light show using an LED-lit circuit board.
Author: Hank Horkoff
In this mission, apprentices will learn about gears and how they are used to as simple machines to increase mechanical advantage. Through this introduction, apprentices will discover how gears are used in many common products we use every day.
This mission will introduce the concept of an electrical circuit. Apprentices will build a series of simple circuits, becoming familiar with the idea that a circuit requires a circular path for current to flow through. They will learn how to draw a basic circuit diagram, and begin to think of circuits as a network of various modular components that can be swapped and rearranged to modify the circuit’s function. This mission will lay the foundation for future missions involving circuitry and micro-controllers such as micro:bit and Arduino.
Laser cutters are a valuable prototyping tool that apprentices can use to bring their concepts to life. In this mission, apprentices will create and laser cut two-dimensional components that will be assembled into their final design.
With this mission, apprentices will continue developing their skills as a roboticist as they develop a robot that has expanded intelligence and is able to navigate an obstacle course on its own.
Solutions just don’t appear, they are developed. In this mission, apprentices will begin by simply sketching a concept, then learning how to refine and develop their idea into a final 3D model.
In this mission apprentices will combine the 3D design methods learned previously – using digital computer models and a 3D pen together in one project to create their own vehicle, including working wheels and axles. They will practice modelling a few different styles of vehicle, and experiment with multiple propulsion systems for their 3D printed cars.
Happy Steamoji Day from all of us at HQ! We chose April 15th to commemorate the birthdate of the grandfather of the modern maker movement, Leonardo DaVinci.
Designing for 3D printing presents some challenges on top of the normal difficulties of 3D model design. This mission will help apprentices think not just in 3 dimensions, but also think in terms of the fabrication process that their models must undergo. They will plan for layer-by-layer construction, add scaffold-like supports to their models, and find the right balance between strength and efficiency.
Levers, pulleys and wheels are used every day to lift or move heavy objects such as pulleys in an elevator, handle levers on a wheelbarrow, or the tires on a bicycle. In this mission, apprentices will be introduced to these simple machines and learn about their benefits through experimentation and play.