LEGO SENSORS CITY
at Nick J. Rahall II Appalachian Transportation Institute
at Marshall University
from Barboursville Middle School
December 11, 2001
Getting data remotely appeared to be easy for three groups of 6th graders today.
Transportation models are set up at Marshall University using
LEGO Dacta Cities and Transportation materials that include gears, pulleys, motors, beams, plates,
light sensors, touch sensors, and the RCX - the LEGO microprocessor.
From their computers in their rooms, the students logged onto http://netapps.marshall.edu/lego
They checked out some of the pictures showing what some of their classmates have done this current year.
Back on the http://netapps.marshall.edu/lego page under the rover picture they clicked the LEGO camera
to see a live picture of the CITY. For the month of December there is a rather large Holiday Helper Elf watching the monorail.
Clicking on SENSORSCITY link which is http://SENSORSCITY.marshall.edu, each group went to work.
They made an account with a name and password they would remember,
checked out the schedule and signed up for a time slot.
Some chose programs to run from those at the site at
http://sensorscity.marshall.edu/city/pages/vi
while they looked through the pictures and descriptions of the scenarios.
Others wrote or changed programs using the RoboLab they had.
In one room they also watched and operated the CITY with Red Rover soft ware.
See instructions to try out Red Rover at the City.
The fun came in submitting missions to SENSORS CITY and watching the monorail move
while watching over the Internet on the live camera.
The little car models traffic moving. The data that comes back over the internet
as a graph makes it much easier to count the car rate.
At the library, check out the camera view.
In Mrs. Bickel's room, write and send a program. Get data back.
Work out the car speed.
The view at SENSORSCITY and in the classroom through RED ROVER.
It is fun to watch the Elf watch the monorail.
"I wrote a program and sent it, too."
Now to yet another room.
Writing down instructions will make it easier to show the next group
what to do.
LEGO
Links of Linda Hamilton