Our project
Our project this unit was to create a form of robot art. It could be anything from lights to songs to games. However, we didn't jump right into that. We first started with standard circuits with alligator clip wires and light bulbs. This was to teach us how circuits worked and how to read a circuit diagram.
After completing a certain number of those circuits we started the breadboards. The breadboards seemed very difficult at first, but once you followed the task it turned out to be easy. Our task on the breadboards was to learn how to use resistors and make a light blink. We were given a circuit diagram and we were supposed to use that to create a blinking light. This was difficult, but through some frustration, perseverance, and a little help we finally got the light to blink.
Although the breadboards were a challenge, we had to continue into the arduino section of the project. We were given a booklet to complete circuits from blinking a single light to playing the game Simon says. Each circuit had a prewritten code that corresponded with the circuit on the breadboard. For example, the code would tell the light to blink on the board. After we finished all of the circuits, we had to create our own code and form of robot art. Kelsea and I created two buzzers that each played a song with flashing lights when you pushed a button. One buzzer plays mary had a little lamb and the other plays twinkle twinkle little star. Each song plays back to back. You can see our code on the bottom of this paragraph. And our robot art diagram to the right.
Concepts
Circuit: a loop of conductive material from positive to negative sides of a power source. This entire project revolved around circuits and how they work.
Resistance: a measure of how much current is slowed/ how many obstacles in the circuit. We used 330 ohm resistors in our robot art show.
Current: the flow of electricity through a circuit. The current is found through every circuit and ca be used by the equation I=V/R.
Voltage: potential energy drop across a component of a circuit. We find voltage using V=IR.
Power: the rate at which electrical energy is transferred by circuit. Power is also related to brightness.
Resistance: a measure of how much current is slowed/ how many obstacles in the circuit. We used 330 ohm resistors in our robot art show.
Current: the flow of electricity through a circuit. The current is found through every circuit and ca be used by the equation I=V/R.
Voltage: potential energy drop across a component of a circuit. We find voltage using V=IR.
Power: the rate at which electrical energy is transferred by circuit. Power is also related to brightness.
Reflection
This project started out a little frustrating, but it was very fun at the end. Once we tackled the blinking light test on the breadboard, it was exciting. I really enjoyed working with the arduinos and completing a new challenge. Programming was a difficult concept to understand and recreate. In the end, I am proud of the program and circuit we created. One thing I could of worked better on was being focused on the project more. I got distracted at times which really didn't help us proceed in the challenges. This distraction was even more of an issue because there were only two of us working on the arduinos (Kelsea and I). Sometimes I was tired of doing the task so I stopped whatever thing I was doing, and did unproductive tasks. This made it difficult for me to really concentrate on what I was doing. Another thing I think I could've improved upon was being more cooperative. Sometimes, I get controlling over what I want to do. When we were discussing ideas, sometimes I only wanted my ideas. Or on how to do somethings, I over ruled ideas. This does not help create a successful team. One thing I think I did well was being patient. This was a long project and required many small tasks. I hardly got frustrated and tried not to rush things. Another thing I feel I did well on was communicating. We both discussed every step we wanted to take. This helped us both with what we wanted for a final product. I worked well with Kelsea and this project was a lot of fun to take part in.