[HELP] LEGO MINDSTORMS robots to build

[NXT45]

Hello lego fans I am teaching lego mindstorms to 8 people and have 3 NXT's and wanted to know what simple robots they could build. I am teaching a 4 week course and thinking of going through 1 sensor / week. (US, touch, color. 4th week TBD) I have only 1 hour for them to build and program the robot so it has to be an easy build but with all of the sensors. (4 people /course and 2 hours a day for a total of 8 people.)

[EDIT] These kids are aged 7-12.

Thanks!

William "NXT45"

Edited October 9, 2014 by NXT45

[BusterHaus]

Are you building one robot over the course of 4 weeks, or a different robot each week in 1 hour?

[Tommy Styrvoky]

For the forth week have them build a robot to accomplish a certain task( without any building instructions or maybe give them a chassis to start with), with the concepts they have been taught. That may lead to some innovative ideas

Edited October 9, 2014 by Tommy Styrvoky

[NXT45]

For the forth week have them build a robot to accomplish a certain task( without any building instructions or maybe give them a chassis to start with), with the concepts they have been taught. That may lead to some innovative ideas

Thanks for that but one think I forgot to mention is that the kids are aged 7-12 and they have not worked with the NXT before this.

NXT45

Are you building one robot over the course of 4 weeks, or a different robot each week in 1 hour?

I actually dont know at the moment. I am leaning more on the different robot ATM.

[BusterHaus]

Since it's for kids, keep it very simple. You can show how to turn a touch sensor into an on/off switch. Have them build a small windmill or something.

For the colour sensor, have them hold up a brick to the sensor and the screen can display the name of the colour.

Ultrasound sensor can be used to make an alarm system - when it sends a signal, have the controller brick play sounds.

Fourth week can have a master-slave servo demo, where one motor gets its position info from another motor. Don't forget that the encoder in each motor is also a sensor.

I'd focus on the programming more than the building. Explain inputs, outputs, list lots of possible applications. You want to show a proof of concept, not a final (and specific) application.