By using the matrix animation command, students can easily create their own animations and test them in real time! If you’re interested in taking this a step further, Piskel is a free website that lets you create larger animations which you then can save as a GIF! If your kids love video games, check out this video below to spark discussion on the evolution of video game animation. The BOLT animation matrix is a great introduction to teaching animation. Students can use a protractor and try moving the light to various angles to record different outputs as well as noticing how the shadow of the BOLT changes. When the angle of the flashlight is at 90 degrees or directly overhead, the sensor would read 100%, indicating that the solar intensity is at the maximum level. For example, when the flashlight is at 0 degrees (mimicking the sun at the horizon), the sensor would read 0%. I tweaked Sphero’s light sensor program to provide the percentage of light intensity. Now try this activity with the BOLT robot! Instead of pointing the flashlight on a sheet of paper, use the light sensor on the BOLT. In the classic Sun Angle Activity, students point a flashlight down towards a piece of paper and observe the area on the paper that is illuminated by the flashlight at different angles. Or use the matrix animations to create Pac-Man and Ghost images appear! I could definitely see this as a great activity for a STEM Family Night!Īre you ready to start using Sphero BOLT in your classroom or program? Here are three fun STEM activities created to use the new features of the BOLT. For example, if you wanted to create a Pac-Man game, you could have one designated BOLT “Pac-Man” and program another BOLT “ghost” to follow it. But I’ve seen a demo, and it looks pretty cool! All of the BOLT robots have an infrared sensor that allows the robots to send signals to each other. I currently only have one BOLT, so I personally have not been able to try this feature. However, if you turn the tablet a different direction, you will need to re-aim the robot. Well, BOLT now has an auto aim option! All you do is place the robot in front of you, and BOLT will use a built-in compass to figure out the tablet orientation. That’s double the life! 5: Auto AimingĪiming the robot was always challenging for younger students. On a single charge, BOLT can last for 2 or more hours, while the SPRK+ will last little over an hour. I also found this to work with our current SPRK+ robots, so it seems to be an app-wide update for all robots. I would recommend labeling the robots with an assigned number so you can connect to a specific robot per tablet. Now when you tap Connect Robot on the app, it will automatically start searching for any BOLT that is nearby. While I loved tapping the SPRK+ “to wake it up”, it seems to always fail when I am in front of a class of eager students. This allows for a great math connection with graphing and vectors. Or you can use the matrix line command to plot coordinates across the matrix. ![]() You simply type a sentence, and it will appear into scrolling text across the matrix. Another way to use the matrix is the scrolling text command. One example project is to create animations with arrows to show which direction the robot is going. ![]() This feature really allows your students to be creative and personalize BOLT. When it is played together, it creates an animation. To create an animation, you create multiple different frames of a picture. However, have no fear! In the Sphero EDU app, Sphero has created animation templates that make this so easy to use. At first glance, I was worried this feature was too advanced for my students. During the entire conference, I went by thousands of booths for the top educational technology companies in the world, and no one had anything close to this feature. Say what? Ok, when I first saw this at a Sphero demo at ISTE I was blown away.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |