6. Obstacle Course Challenge (5 Hours)
Course Challenge
Now that we have a better understanding of how to fly our drone using the Tello App, we will use those skills to create a course using the Engineering Design Process. Your instructor will split you up into different teams, and you will use the materials provided by your instructor. With those materials, you will create an obstacle course of your own that your drone can fly through. You will have two full sessions to work on your course, and your peers will try it out afterward to give you feedback. You will use that feedback to improve your course and test it again.
- What is my problem? Design and build a course that you can fly your drone through
- What are my constraints? You can only use the material provided or approved by your instructor. You have two sessions to work on your entire course.
- Brainstorm some solutions to your problem.
- Do some research with your team if needed.
- Draw out your ideas on a piece of paper. Don’t forget to check the materials list below to include anything you might need. You can work on your idea and come together with your team or have a team member be a scribe and write down all the ideas. You should include drawings and labels for the parts of your plan.
- Materials List:
- Any supplies your instructor provides or approves
Example of a Labeled Drawing:
- Use your plan to create your project.
- Test your course by flying your drone through it and make any changes that you think might make it better.
- Now that you have tested it, you will think about what you would do to improve it (make it better) and share it with your group.
- If there is still time, make the necessary changes.
Testing with Peers
You finished the steps of the Engineering Design Process! Now you will share your course with your peers. There are some tips below to help you have the best experience possible testing out your peer’s courses and having them test yours:
- Ask what the route is for the course and tell your peers the route for your course.
- Do not touch any part of the course unless you ask your peers and let your peers know if they need to touch any part of the course.
- Be in control of your drone and make sure you are following all of the safety rules when flying.
- Have a paper to write down any notes to give feedback to your peers about their course. No course is perfect, so be open to feedback and consider the changes.
- The most important rule, HAVE FUN!
Feedback
Going through each course, peers will share their feedback about your course. Be sure to take notes and remember that we are being kind with our feedback and giving ideas on what could be better. Here are some examples of good and bad feedback:
- Good feedback: “I really liked this course! I found it difficult for my drone to go through the hula hoop at the angle it was at and crashed it each time. I suggest angling it differently and not having it so close to the other parts so a drone could fit through. The rest of the course was well designed, and my drone was able to fit, and I really liked the tunnel at the end.”
—>This is voicing how you felt during the course, where you found difficulties, and including what you liked about the course.
- Bad feedback: “This course was really hard. Whoever designed the hula hoop part isn’t smart. I would never want to do this course again.”
—>This is not kind or constructive feedback. It does not tell the team exactly what the problem was and makes it hard to know what needs to be improved when talking about the hula hoop.
Improving Your Course
Now that you have your feedback from your peers make improvements on your course. You will get one session to make improvements and test out your course again.