Space Challenge – Activate Communications
Design, build and program a robot that can navigate to the satellite dish and then push on it until it’s fully upright.
Come up with a plan!
Think about these questions and answer them in your work book:
- With your partner, brainstorm ideas for solving this mission.
- Determine the key functionalities that the robot must have in order to navigate to the Communications Station and push the satellite dish into an upright position.
- Practice lining up your robot and sending it on the mission to activate the Communications Station
- Continue working on your robots until you’re ready for a judged attempt.
- Award achievement badges based on how well each team solved the mission.
Mission Rules
There are five rules that apply to all of the Space Challenge missions. Make sure that you know all of them before you start:
- Your robot must always start the mission from the base area.
- Your robot must leave the base area before carrying out the mission.
- A ‘successful robot return’ occurs when any part of the robot crosses over any part of the base area line.
- You’re not allowed to touch your robot while it’s outside of the base area.
- If you touch your robot while it’s entirely outside of the base area and it’s holding an object, the object must be returned to its original position, and you must begin the mission again.
Mission Troubleshooting
To avoid pushing on the satellite dish too much, use the Ultrasonic Sensor to detect the red wall of beams. Use the Colour Sensor in Reflected Light Intensity Mode to detect the robot’s position on the Challenge Mat. If the Colour Sensor doesn’t detect colour changes on the Challenge Mat, try calibrating the sensor.
Which missions will you try next?
- Communications Station
- Satellite
- Flight Crew
- Crater MSL Robot
- Rock Samples
- Solar Panel
- Rocket and Launcher – Mars Outpost
