Project

Mine Sweeper

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DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
In this project, you will design and build a mobile robot to replicate the behavior of a military device searching for landmines. You will use small disc magnets hidden under a cloth or large sheet of paper to represent the buried landmines. Your challenge is to locate and pinpoint the exact location of these "mines." Your robot should be capable of searching a wide area, in the neighborhood of a 4" wide and 3' long strip, with a Vernier Magnetic Field Sensor. Once the sensor detects a magnet, the robot should stop with the tip of the sensor directly above the hidden magnet (the white dot on the sensor should be facing downward) and the robot should sound an auditory indicator. Your robot is only required to find one magnet at a time, and you can set the initial starting position. You can manually restart and reposition your robot to begin a search for additional magnets.

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Military service personnel use robots to do tasks that might be dangerous to humans. One common example is working with explosives such as landmines. A robot is used to venture out into a potential minefield and locate a landmine, allowing the soldier to disarm or detonate it from a safe distance. Landmine detection is becoming increasingly important because, sadly, we live in a world where there have been many wars and thousands of landmines have been hidden. Many of these mines remain long after the war is over. In this project, your challenge is to build a sensor-controlled robot to locate a hidden landmine as represented by a small magnet.

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Figure 1: One example of a mine-seeking robot

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STEM 2 with Vernier and LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT

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Project 20 You are strongly encouraged to use the Engineering Design Method and your creative imagination when tackling this challenge. The Engineering Design Method will help you develop a successful working robot. A little planning will save you time and frustration, especially when working on more complicated projects. To help you get started, use the Engineering Design worksheet provided by your teacher.

MATERIALS
computer LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Educational Set MINDSTORMS Edu NXT 2 software Vernier NXT Sensor Adapter Vernier Magnetic Field Sensor small disc magnets cloth Engineering Design worksheet

TIPS
Set the switch on the Vernier Magnetic Field Sensor to 6.4 mT (low amplification). The rotating tip of the Magnetic Field Sensor can be used in the straight position or bent at a 90 angle. Depending on how you write your program, it may or may not be important how you orient the magnets (north up or north down). Do some preliminary tests, taking Magnetic Field data as the robot moves the sensor near a magnet. This challenge is complicated enough that you are strongly encouraged to separate all the actions the robot and the program are taking into small testable modules. This will make your debugging and testing much easier. In planning your MINDSTORMS NXT program for this project, you may want to consider using a Variable Block. A Variable Block can be used to store a sensor reading so that you can compare it to later readings. For example, it can help you find the maximum magnetic field reading.

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STEM 2 with Vernier and LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT

Vernier Lab Safety Instructions Disclaimer

THIS IS AN EVALUATION COPY OF THE VERNIER STUDENT LAB.

This copy does not include: Safety information Essential instructor background information Directions for preparing solutions Important tips for successfully doing these labs The complete STEM 2 with Vernier and LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT lab manual includes 12 lab activities and eight projects as well as essential teacher information. The full lab book is available for purchase at: http://www.vernier.com/cmat/stem2.html

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