Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science GEMS: Teaching Robotics to High School Students.

摘要

Since 2008, the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) components at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, consisting of elements of the Computer and Information Sciences Directorate (CISD) and the Survivability, Lethality, and Analysis Directorate (SLAD), have conducted summer Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science (GEMS) programs for students from high schools in the major towns nearby. The several modules of this program teach students how math and science relate to the Army, ARL, and in particular, about technical areas in which we are involved. Since the beginning of the program, the authors have taught two of these modules on robotics. In addition to teaching something about the history, evolution, and current status of robotics, we use robotics kits to allow students to build, program, and test robots that can use electronic sensors and student-built computer programs to detect and maneuver through obstacles. In this report we include descriptions and pictures of class activities and detailed class materials.