Sphero Chariot

thingiverse

This project is perfect for helping students visualize ancient Roman chariot races that played a significant role in this civilization. It includes an experimental component where student pairs will use design concepts and manipulation of Newton's second law of motion (F=ma) to create wheels that will attach to a model of a chariot provided to them to race against another team. The chariot will be harnessed with a Sphero "horse", and a student driver will use the Sphero iPad app to race the chariot. This project will help students gain an understanding of Newton's Second Law of Motion. With the Sphero providing a standardized "horse" for force, the student is left to design wheels to reduce mass. This should lead to faster acceleration, better response, and speed for racing the chariots. Print Settings Printer Brand: MakerBot Printer: MakerBot Replicator Rafts: Yes Supports: Yes Resolution: High for chariot Infill: 10% Notes: 1'8" steel rod or a #6-32 threaded rod can be used to substitute the snapping stud axles. The axles can be carefully removed and replaced with new ones. The Sphero robot will then be placed on top of the new axle. Teachers need to print out 2 identical chariot rings that are provided. Teachers need to acquire 2 Sphero robots Teachers need to explain the formula of f=ma to give background information to students, so they can understand the effect of each variable. In this activity the force and the acceleration are constant. Materials Needed Sphero - http://www.sphero.com/ Duration of Lesson One Week Preparation Students will work in pairs to design their wheels Students will sketch their design by hand Students will use design software such as TinkerCad to design their chariot wheels Students will use a 3D printer to print a model of the chariot wheels. Students will race their Sphero chariot to see which one moves the fastest. Student will write a reflection on the results of the race and what factors contributed to the speed of their Sphero chariot. Lesson Plan and Activity Rubric and Assessment In Thing Files