The Heat-Seeking Robot

A Design Project for Introduction to Engineering
Developed by Dr. Antonio Garcia
(adapted from Dr. Chell Robert's ECE 100 robot assignment)
Arizona State University

Instructions to Students

1.	Project Description Your team is to design and build a robotic device that will search a 20 foot wide hexagonal arena to find a heat source in the least amount of time. You will also design the control logic (program) for your device.  You will use this heat-seeking robot to compete against other teams during the final class meeting. This project offers your team a chance to pass through all the stages of the problem-solving and the design process in a structured way. As you go through this process, it is expected that your team will begin to understand more fully how this problem-solving process works (i.e., you will begin to really understand why the steps are ordered the way they are, how the results of one step lead to the next step, why it is often necessary to go back and repeat an earlier step in the process, etc.). Your team members will be allowed to solve this problem much as they see fit. It is expected, however, that your team will use each step in the design heuristic as presented in class and in your text. All the work done on this project will be documented and will be placed in the team’s Design Notebook.
2.	Minimum Requirements for Design Notebook Notebook organization—well structured with a table of contents, page numbers, etc. ·         All major design steps—addressed and documented ·         Excel spreadsheet with data from trial run ·         Appropriate sketches and drawings ·         Team materials—team roles, team norms, meeting minutes, process check Project management—schedule, Gantt chart
3.	Design Constraints and Conditions  As with most design projects, there are certain constraints and conditions that you must follow.  (See Constraints and Conditions handout.)
4.	The Robot Competition: There will be two robots in the arena for each trial and each team will be given more than one attempt to find the heat source in the minimum time.  Each trial will last a maximum of 6 minutes.
5.	Deliverables   Design Notebook Participation in Competition Individual Written Report (a succinct report on the final design that includes the testing and the final outcome of the project; an assessment of the project outcome—successes, shortcomings, etc.;)

  Lesson   |   Instruction to Students |  Constraints and Conditions   |  Heat-Seeking Robot Assignment Checklist

©2002, Antonio Garcia
These materials may be duplicated for educational purposes if properly credited.