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3.10 Remotely Operated Marty

45 Minutes

Lesson Overview

We use robots and technology in many different places to explore the environment from a safe location. Students will be using a new type of loop, while loops, to create their own remotely operated Marty that can be controlled from a distance using text commands.

Key vocabulary:
    Loop / Repeat, While Loop, Repetition, Condition, Flowchart, Remotely Operated Vehicle,

Content Sections

  • Learning Objectives
  • Extensions & Challenges
    • Additional Reading

      • 3.10 Remotely Operated Marty

      45 Minutes

      Lesson Overview

      We use robots and technology in many different places to explore the environment from a safe location. Students will be using a new type of loop, while loops, to create their own remotely operated Marty that can be controlled from a distance using text commands.

      Key vocabulary:
        Loop / Repeat, While Loop, Repetition, Condition, Flowchart, Remotely Operated Vehicle,
      • 3.1, 3.2, 3.5, 3.6, 3.9
      • Laptop or PC
      • Technologies/Literacy
        • Marty the Robot
        • Student workbooks (Lesson 2)
        • Devices with a Python editor and martypy installed

      Learning Objectives

      • Explain the flow of a program that has a while loop
      • Write a Python script using a while loop to repeat until a condition is met
      • Draw a flowchart for a program with a while loop
      • Explain why we might use robots for exploring new environments

      1. Class discussion of what we might use a remotely operated robot or vehicle for (considering perhaps unsafe environments for humans to be in for long periods of time)

      2. Challenge students to create a text-based remote control so that they can remotely operate their Marty from a distance to explore the classroom, running the demonstration file to show students what to expect

      3. Highlight that they will need to use a loop that keeps running until the user types in the word stop - what programming concepts can they use to do this? How do they know how long the loop will need to run for?

      4.Introduction to while loops as another type of loop that can be used in Python

      a. Highlight the flowchart for this kind of loop along with how it looks in Python with focus on indentation and structuring a condition (similar to writing an if statement)
      5. Students should plan out their programs using a flowchart and start programming in small groups with a Marty and device with a Python editor

      Extensions & Support

      • Set up some webcams in another room with obstacles and challenge students to remote control Marty around the room whilst in a separate room using only the webcams (Technologies/Literacy/Numeracy)
      • Research and present on technology that is used for exploring environments such as underwater or empty pieces of land (Technologies/Literacy)
      • Research environments walking robots be useful for exploring? Would you design the robot to be like Marty? Ask students to present their findings on a poster (Technologies/Literacy/Arts)

      Additional Reading

      • Marty the Robot Educator Guide
      • Educator FAQ
      • Getting Started with Python
      • MartyPy Documentation