How do we detect changes in the world around us? We do this through the use of our senses. Humans have 5 senses: touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste. These senses help us experience changes in our environment. This allows to experience the good things about the world, and aids in our survival. For example, if we hear our favorite song, it may allow us to relax, or motivate us to dance. If we hear a loud roar in the woods at night, it may alert us to danger nearby. If we smell a certain scent, it we may know that our parents are cooking a meal. If we smell a gassy odor, it may let us know that there is a gas leak and we need to leave the area. Whatever the case, our senses are what allow us to detect these changes and without them, we would miss out on many of the things we enjoy in our day-to-day lives.
Did you know that many of the devices and technologies we use can sense changes around them also? This is how a self-driving car knows when to stop or change lanes; how an iPhone knows that you are typing, or even how an air pressure gauge knows your tire has enough air. How do these technologies do this? They do so through use of sensors!
A sensor is a device that can detect a change in something and send information about that change to a human. Essentially every technology you use has some sort of sensor. One example of this is a motion sensor. When someone moves near it, it can sense the movement and it responds in some way that human senses can detect, alerting us to the change. It may make a loud noise, or it may have green flashing lights. Today we are going to design and build a door sensor!
The student handout will be given to all students working on the design challenge. It gives a brief recap of the story, it helps the students identify what they are attempting to achieve, and it recaps the design process.
This Instructor’s Guide provides the instructor additional information on how to run the design challenge with alternatives for materials and test setups as well as information to help make the design challenge a good educational experience.
The Telling the Story Video conveys the societal impact of the student’s research that is the basis for the design challenge and will set the problem-solving context for students.
The Design Challenge Video leads students through the design process. It indicates materials available, states what the criteria are for success and any constraints. It also gives a second ‘level’ of the design challenge that allows ‘early completers’ to move on to a slightly more difficult challenge.
A PowerPoint to assist in presenting information to the students.