Robots and Physical Computing

20-minute primary activity: Seeing the physical world as data with microbit This is a short classroom or STEM-club activity for primary children using a pre-prepared BBC micro. The aim is not to spend the session building the whole data logger, but to let children quickly see that a small device can measure the physical world and show those measurements changing on a screen. This activity builds on two earlier posts: DIY Data Science with microbits , especially Method 1, the “Direct Link” approach, and Detecting and logging magnetism with a microbit . These have a lot more detail on what is going on and why. This activity has been used and refined with 12 groups of up to 15 children at a time. I would suggest getting them into groups of 2-3 around a computer and a microbit. What you need 1 micro, already programmed in MakeCode blocks USB cable connected to a computer MakeCode open in a Chrome-based browser A small magnet or set of magnets A torch, phone light, or simply a way of coveri...

I have had these for a while, a couple of Ozobots. Small little robots that react to colours on the ground. Below are figures showing the Ozobots working with an App Ozogroove which allows the bots to perform dance routines, and out of the box, they are set up to run around a track that has coloured blocks causing the bots to change what they do. figure 1.  Interesting thing about these is the way a routine is transferred from the App to the bot. - by flashing light. In figure 1 the two ozobots are mid way through being programmed with a dance routine. Figure 2 shows one of the bots during the dance. figure 2 The latest version these, Ozobot Bit 2.0 can be programmed via Blockly-based website with light being used to transfer the routine. I had a play with one a couple of days ago, liked it so much I order a pair from Amazon! As an aside, when I first saw the light transfer method it reminded me of some of the early British TV programmes on Computing in the 1980s, ...