A proposal to incorporate LEGO® Mindstorms™ into an introduction to engineering course

Abstract

Hands-on experiences excite interest in engineering students. Freshmen tend to be more interested in applications than theory, but they have many math and science courses confronting them before they can effectively apply what they learn. A freshman year course that shows engineering students the applications of the theory would help maintain a high level of interest. This paper introduces a robotics unit to give students that hands-on experience. Designed to be included in an introductory engineering class at the University of Wyoming, this unit utilizes the versatile components included in the LEGO® Mindstorms™ system. The unit addresses various concepts related to engineering principles and real life applications, such as remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and the integration of different components. Students working through this unit would design and build a series of robots beginning with one that uses a touch sensor to maneuver around obstacles and ending with a robot that mimics an animal's behavior, such as eating and sleeping. The construction requires a basic grasp of mechanical engineering concepts, and some programming ability, but use of the kits requires no previous skills. The LEGO®s kit encourages problem solving and teamwork. The unit was piloted with a pair of volunteer interns, both rising high school seniors. The volunteers worked with the unit in seven one-hour sessions. The interns chose to put in extra time to work on their projects, demonstrating the enthusiasm inspired by both the materials and the projects.