Test and refine

Students test their robotic arm through weight and dexterity tests

Building a robotic arm

Students design, build and test a robotic arm from components and motors.

Workshop overview

Year level 9-10
Prior knowledge

No prior knowledge of coding experience required. Recommended for students who have not done Build and Code: Rescue Arms

Capacity 16-32 students. If you want to bring more students, email accelerators@qut.edu.au
When School days: Monday-Friday
Duration Half day or full day
Where QUT Gardens Point, Science and Engineering Centre
Cost

Free (Late cancellation fees apply. Please refer to Terms and Conditions.)

Workshop details

Half-day workshop (engineering design): Using the engineering principles of mechatronics, students construct a robot arm from a range of components and motors. Based upon their selected components, students mathematically determine the physical limits of a prosthetic arm. Using this information they test their hypothesis by remote controlling the arm to perform a variety of tasks, testing the capability of their robotic claw.

Full-day workshop (coding): As an extension of the half-day workshop, students explore the design thinking process. They refine their design, select alternative components for their robotic arm and calculate the potential strength and dexterity. They then learn how to automate simple tasks using basic script-based programming; and test their design modification and its effect on performance to create a technical data sheet for this prosthetic.

Topics covered in this workshop:

  • coding
  • engineering design
  • mathematics.

Book this workshop

You can request a booking for one of these options:

  • 1 full-day workshop
  • 1 half-day workshop
  • 2 half-day workshops run on the same day. Find more workshops.

You can also add a 30-minute interactive experience at The Cube to your visit.

All bookings are subject to availability of university spaces and presenters

Book workshops

Curriculum links

Half-day workshop

Year 9

Science
  • Advances in scientific understanding often rely on developments in technology and technological advances are often linked to scientific discoveries (ACSHE158)
  • Select and use appropriate equipment, including digital technologies, to collect and record data systematically and accurately (ACSIS166)
Design and Technologies
  • Investigate and make judgments on how the characteristics and properties of materials are combined with force, motion and energy to create engineered solutions (ACTDEK0430)
  • Investigate and make judgments on how the characteristics and properties of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment can be combined to create designed solutions (ACTDEK0460)
  • Investigate and make judgments, within a range of technologies specialisations, on how technologies can be combined to create designed solutions (ACTDEK047)

Year 10

Science
  • Energy conservation in a system can be explained by describing energy transfers and transformations (ACSSU190)
  • The motion of objects can be described and predicted using the laws of physics (ACSSU229)
Design and Technologies
  • Investigate and make judgments on how the characteristics and properties of materials are combined with force, motion and energy to create engineered solutions (ACTDEK0430)
  • Investigate and make judgments on how the characteristics and properties of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment can be combined to create designed solutions (ACTDEK046)
  • Investigate and make judgments, within a range of technologies specialisations, on how technologies can be combined to create designed solutions (ACTDEK047)

Full-day workshop (in addition to half-day workshop curriculum)

Year 9

Design and Technologies
  • Develop, modify and communicate design ideas by applying design thinking, creativity, innovation and enterprise skills of increasing sophistication (ACTDEP049)
  • Work flexibly to effectively and safely test, select, justify and use appropriate technologies and processes to make designed solutions (ACTDEP050)

Year 10

Mathematics
  • Substitute values into formulas to determine an unknown (ACMNA234)
Design and Technologies
  • Develop, modify and communicate design ideas by applying design thinking, creativity, innovation and enterprise skills of increasing sophistication (ACTDEP049)
  • Work flexibly to effectively and safely test, select, justify and use appropriate technologies and processes to make designed solutions (ACTDEP050)