Misión Espacial
Robotics and exploration: building robots that conquer new worlds
The version for girls and boys aged 8 and 9: a different space mission each day, building and programming explorer robots with everyday materials and 3D printed parts.
Bringing real robotics to 8 and 9 year olds meant rebuilding the whole scaffolding without lowering the technical bar. The answer was to structure the course as a series of space missions: each day poses a concrete challenge (navigate, land, move, customize) and the robot grows mission by mission.
The educational robot developed the previous semester made this course possible. With a reliable base of our own, I could give children that age a robot that actually moves and can be controlled, instead of a model that only looks like one.
Each mission is assessed at three levels: basic, intermediate and advanced. That lets a group with very different paces move forward together without anyone being left out. The course ends with a showcase, a speech prepared by each team and a diploma ceremony.
Original course
I designed the full proposal for CREA UC, including adapting robotics content for children aged 8 and 9.
About the educational robot
This course builds on the educational robot we created with Elvis Andrade for Robots Makers en Acción.
Syllabus
- 01Empathize: what is a robot?Types, uses and role of robots in space exploration. Team-building activity.
- 02Define: basic electronicsMission 2: design a system to navigate space and get past the identified challenges.
- 03Ideate: landing systemMission 3: landing prototype with simple materials and a simulation with weights.
- 04Prototype: the vehicleConnecting motors to the remote control, assembling and fine-tuning the vehicle.
- 05Test: customization and pitchFinishing the prototypes, preparing the model and the presentation speech.
- 06Final showcaseDress rehearsal, each team's presentation and diploma ceremony.
Gallery
