AVA'S ROTATING CRAFT ORGANIZER

This entry-level after-school STEM enrichment activity introduces 3rd-5th grade students to the Smart Servo platform through a human-centered design approach. Students will learn basic servo motor control and programming concepts while creating a rotating craft supply organizer for a client with developmental coordination disorder. The lesson emphasizes empathy in the design process as students develop a solution that helps someone with different physical abilities access craft supplies more easily.

Client Profile

Learning Objectives

• Apply the human-centered design process to understand and address a user's specific needs
• Program a Smart Servo to rotate to different positions using button input
• Design and build a functional rotating craft organizer prototype
• Test and iterate on designs based on feedback and results

Activity: "Walking in Ava's Shoes"

1. Introduce the Challenge:
   • Share Ava's profile with students, emphasizing her love for crafts and her challenges
   • Discuss what developmental coordination disorder is and how it affects daily activities
   • Show a video of someone with coordination difficulties trying to access small craft items
2. Simulation Experience:
   • Have students wear thick winter gloves or tape popsicle sticks to their fingers
   • Challenge them to sort small craft supplies (beads, buttons) into different containers
   • Ask students to reflect on the experience: "What was challenging? How did it feel?"
3. Introduce the Smart Servo:
   • Show students the Smart Servo and explain its basic capabilities
   • Demonstrate a simple rotation with button activation
   • Explain that they will be using this technology to help Ava access her craft supplies

import time
import board
import pwmio
import servo
from digitalio import DigitalInOut, Direction, Pull

# Set up the servo
pwm = pwmio.PWMOut(board.A2, duty_cycle=2 ** 15, frequency=50)
my_servo = servo.Servo(pwm)

# Set up the button
button = DigitalInOut(board.D2)
button.direction = Direction.INPUT
button.pull = Pull.UP

while True:
    if button.value == 0:  # Button pressed
        my_servo.angle = 90  # Rotate servo
        time.sleep(0.5)
    else:
        my_servo.angle = 0  # Return to starting position

Checkpoints & Assessment

Connections

Activity: "Servo Motion Explorer"

1. Setup:
   • Divide students into pairs, with each pair receiving a Smart Servo, button, and programming cable
   • Connect Smart Servos to computers and open Circuit Python editor
   • Provide students with the basic "Toggle Button" code example
2. Code Exploration:
   • Have students load the example code and observe how the servo responds to button presses
   • Guide students to modify the toggle code to make the servo move to different positions
   • Challenge students to add a third position to the toggle sequence

import time
import board
from digitalio import DigitalInOut, Direction, Pull
import pwmio
import servo

# Set up the button
button = DigitalInOut(board.D2)
button.direction = Direction.INPUT
button.pull = Pull.UP

# Set up the servo
pwm = pwmio.PWMOut(board.A2, duty_cycle=2 ** 15, frequency=50)
my_servo = servo.Servo(pwm)

# Variable to track the current state
position = 0

while True:
    if button.value == 0:  # Button pressed
        # Wait a moment to avoid multiple triggers from one press
        time.sleep(0.5)
        
        # Change position based on current state
        if position == 0:
            my_servo.angle = 0
            position = 1
        elif position == 1:
            my_servo.angle = 90
            position = 2
        elif position == 2:
            my_servo.angle = 180
            position = 0
            
        # Wait for button release
        while button.value == 0:
            pass

3. Mechanical Exploration:
   • Provide students with LocLine connectors and mounting materials
   • Have them experiment with different ways to mount and position the servo
   • Encourage them to test different attachments to the servo arm

Checkpoints & Assessment

import time
import board
import neopixel
import pwmio
import servo
from digitalio import DigitalInOut, Direction, Pull

# Set up the NeoPixel LED
pixel = neopixel.NeoPixel(board.NEOPIXEL, 1)

# Set up the button
button = DigitalInOut(board.D2)
button.direction = Direction.INPUT
button.pull = Pull.UP

# Set up the servo
pwm = pwmio.PWMOut(board.A2, duty_cycle=2 ** 15, frequency=50)
my_servo = servo.Servo(pwm)

# Variable to track the current position
position = 0
positions = 3  # Number of distinct positions

# Colors for each position
colors = [(255, 0, 0), (0, 255, 0), (0, 0, 255)]

while True:
    # Set LED color based on current position
    pixel.fill(colors[position])
    
    if button.value == 0:  # Button pressed
        # Wait to avoid multiple triggers
        time.sleep(0.5)
        
        # Move to next position
        position = (position + 1) % positions
        
        # Set servo angle based on position
        my_servo.angle = position * (180 // (positions - 1))
        
        # Wait for button release
        while button.value == 0:
            pass