Driverless cars will soon be moving onto our streets from the pages of science, and Computing students in Years 7 and 8 have been learning about the technology behind the automated automotive. Teams of pupils have been programming LEGO® MINDSTORMS® EV3 robots to negotiate a variety of obstacles, using motors to move the robots and ultrasonic, light, colour and touch sensors to detect obstacles. The LEGO® project has taught the pupils about algorithms, computational thinking and visual programming and given them hands-on experience of using computers to solve real-world problems.
Year 7’s winning team of Eleanor Crone, Holly Cumpsty and Grace Lewis, managed to successfully negotiate the route, by using the ultrasonic sensor to turn the robot before it hit a wall; using the colour sensor to react to red and green traffic lights; and using the ambient light sensor to switch on the robot’s lights when it entered a tunnel. They completed the course with a very successful demonstration of reverse parking! Well done to all the students in Years 7 and 8 for their great teamwork this term.
