Mackenzie's ETEC Blog

Having just completed my makerspace course at TAMUC, here are some thoughts on my journey and what comes next! What was the build that you are most proud of and why? While my dancing baby Groot project was a personal favorite, in that it both challenged me and made me smile the most, the project that I would most like to showcase is my "bathymetry" sonar scanner project . As a science teacher, the motivation for this project (to model the bathymetry work of scientist Mary Tharpe) using our Arduino kit's sonar sensor has deep roots in my passion for teaching scientific concepts through hands-on discovery. If I can get students using new technology to do science, while also learning about science, and throw in some female science role models, I feel like I've hit the trifecta! Hopefully, I'll be able to develop this activity into some practical lesson plans I can use with my Middle School students. Go back to your first week and read each week's submission with...

1. Project: For this week’s challenge, we took on the "Iron Chef Challenge" of creating something using motors and sensors. I was inspired by the idea of creating a dancing baby Groot! Embracing the true maker's experiences, I did a lot of prototyping, building and rebuilding. I played with all three of the motors that came with my kit! And ultimately, my project morphed from a dancing baby Groot to a chill baby Groot spinning his favorite record on his finger tip! Original Inspiration: Dancing Baby Groot! 2. Code: This is the code I developed this week. It uses what I learned about the ultrasonic sensor last week to turn on the DC motor (for a minimum of 3 seconds) when something is within 10 centimeters of the sonar detector. 3. Circuit Design: The following described my circuit design for the DC motor triggered by the sonar detector. Video of Circuit for Iron Chef Challenge (0:36) 4. Electronic Diagram: The following electronic diagrams were taken from my design journa...

1. Project: For this week’s challenge, I attempted to use the sonar sensor to create an array output that I can use to generate a topography map. I was motivated to try this because I've been looking to create projects inspired by female scientists. Mary Tharpe 's success at mapping the ocean floors using sonar data, leading to the discovery of the mid-Atlantic ridge, is relevant to our middle school science curriculum. Using Arduinos would give them the opportunity to practice bathymetry, following in the footsteps of this groundbreaking scientist! 2. Code: This is the code I developed to record sonar mapping data from my sonar sensor. After testing, I modified it to include lights that blink as a visual indicator when data is taken.  A challenge for students trying to breakdown / understand / modify this code could be: how would you modify for bathymetry to adjust for the speed of sound through water vs. the speed of sound through air? 3. Circuit Design: The following circuit...

  1. Project: In this week’s challenge, our goal was to learn use the random function, custom embedded functions, for loops and if statements to create a random dice roll and then count the distribution of dice rolls. 2. Code: The following code displays a random dice roll on a 7-LED array and counts the distribution of rolls for 100 dice rolls. 3. Circuit Design: For the following circuit design, the 7 LED's are arranged so a to display the typical dice number arrangements from 1 through 6 for each random number that is generated. Video of Circuit for Random Dice Roller (0:25) 4. Electronic Diagram: The following electronic diagrams were taken from my design journal. For the following circuit design, the potentiometer functions as a color selector. Turning the knob on the potentiometer will determine which color the RGB LED will shine. Electronic Diagram for Random Dice Roller 5. Video of Project: Description of Project to Create Random Dice Roller (2:52) 6. Explanation of Project...

1. Project: In this week’s challenge, our goal was to learn how to use the color-changing RGB (red, green, blue) LED and play around with Arduino C coding to learn how to use For loops and Arrays. Then combine that new knowledge to create a project. 2. Code: The following code combines my experimentation with the potentiometer and my understanding of how the AnalogWrite function can work to control the color of my RGB LED. After briefly running through the range of colors, by LED blinks off. Then the color can be controlled by turning the potentiometer dial. 3. Circuit Design: For the following circuit design, the potentiometer functions as color selector. The PWM (pulse width modulation) digital output pins control the intensity of each color (red, green and blue) of my RGB LED. Video of Circuit for Potentiometer as Color Selector (0:49) 4. Electronic Diagram: The following electronic diagrams were taken from my design journal. For the following circuit design, the potentiometer funct...

1. Project: In this week’s challenge, our goal was to use the potentiometer in our Arduino kit  to create blinking speed controller for our LED  and then modify our circuit and code  to create a dimmer switch for our LED . My potentiometer looked slightly different from the ones in the tutorials. However, the same principle applied: two poles of the potentiometer connected to high (5V) and low (0V) voltage and the potentiometer acted as a variable resistor (or voltage divider) providing a set voltage between 0 and 5V to the middle pin, depending on the position to which the dial was turned. 2. Code: The following code can be used to control either the brightness or the blink speed of an LED, depending on the circuit design used with the code.  When the positive side of the LED is connected to Pin 13, the potentiometer controls the blink speed.  When the positive side of the LED is connected to the variable output of the potentiometer, the potentiometer controls ...

1) Project: This blog post follows my initial exploration of my Arduino Super Starter Kit as I attempt to complete the "blinking led" project. The goal is to use the Arduino IDE interface to write code for a blinking LED, build a circuit using my Arduino, breadboard, wires and LEDs, upload my code to my Arduino, and then explore different variations and possibilities in the realm of blinking LEDs. Video 1: Unpacking my Arduino Kit! 2) Code: Here is a screenshot of my annotated code for the blinking LED project.  3) Circuit Design: Here is a video showing the circuit I built using my Arduino and breadboard. Video 2: Circuit for Blinking LED Challenge 4) Electronic Diagram: Below is the electronic diagram from my design journal: 5) Video of Project: While not necessarily a "successful" implementation of this week's assigned project. I learned a lot about how to trouble shoot Arduino connections issues, which will hopefully save me time and headaches in the future ...