Robot Basketball

Lesson courtesy of TryEngineering, modified by Masa Radakovic Welch

Summary
In this activity, students learn about accuracy and precision by working in teams to design and build a
robot/robotic arm basketball player that can nail three free-throw shots in a row.
Time: Two one hour session
Learning objectives
After doing this activity, students should be able to:

Understand and implement the engineering design process to solve a problem

Understand the difference between precision and accuracy
Use knowledge of simple machines to refine the projectiles trajectory
Describe how force affects the motion of a projectile
Find the optimum angle for launching a projectile
Calculate accuracy percentages and use scatter plots to visualize precision

National Science Education Standards

Content Standard B: Physical Science. As a result of their activities, students should develop
an understanding of motions and forces, and transfer of energy [Grades 5-8] or interactions of
energy and matter [Grades 9-12].

Content Standard E: Science and Technology. As a result of activities, students should develop
abilities of technological design and understandings about science and technology. [Grades 5
-12]

Materials
Students will have the following materials available on a resource table:

Pieces of corrugated cardboard

(different sizes)

Card stock and/or file folders

Cups and plates (foam, paper, and

plastic in different sizes)

Plastic bottle caps

Craft wire

Wooden skewers

Hot glue gun and sticks

Plastic spoons

Scissors

Rulers

Masking tape

String

Glue

Pipe cleaners

Construction or regular paper

Craft sticks

Markers

Straws

Ping pong ball

Binder clips (various sizes)

Waste paper basket (for test zone)

Paper clips (various sizes)

Basketball

Rubber bands

Environment Preparation
Testing Zone set up with a net, with masking tape marking the free throw line 6 feet
away. 3 testing ping-pong balls placed in a cup at the starting line.

Procedure

Introduction to levers (10 min)

Hold up a basketball. Ask students if theyve ever played basketball and to describe the
various shots players make, such as the lay-up, alley oop, dunk, three-pointer, and free shot.

Ask student to demonstrate a free shot. Point out the motion of the arm, specifically from
elbow to hand. Ask (or explain) what simple machine this resembles. (A lever is a rigid bar
that rotates around a fixed point, called a fulcrum. In this case, the elbow is the fulcrum and
the arm is the lever.)

Design Challenge and Criteria (40 min): design and build a robotic arm or a robot
basketball player who can nail three free-throws in a row. Net must be 2 feet above the
court (floor or desk) and player must shoot from 6 feet away.

Troubleshooting tips: If students are having trouble starting their designs, suggest a
catapult-type design. Point out how a catapult functions as a third-class lever:

After students test their robotic arms they are encouraged to redesign and test again.
Introduce students to the engineer design process
https://www.teachengineering.org/engrdesignprocess.php

Closing Reflection (10

min)www.teachengineering.org:

To make a projectile cover the most horizontal

distance possible, it should be launched from a
45 angle.. If a projectile is launched from an
angle greater than 45, where will it go? (Answer:
It will go higher, but not cover as much horizontal
distance.) If the same projectile is launched from
an angle less than 45, where will it go? (Answer:
It will not go as high and therefore is pulled to the
ground more quickly by gravitational force, and
thus, falls short.) Now let's talk about force. Do
you think the string that is wrapped around the
spoon-shaped part should be really tight or really

loose? (Answer: Tight.) If the string is tight, do you think more or less force is applied to the
projectile or object? (Answer: More force.)

Projectile motion refers to the motion of an object projected into the air at an angle. Galileo
was the first person to accurately describe projectile motion by analyzing the horizontal and
vertical components separately. Two important equations exist for position in projectile motion
with no friction. While these equations are not required in order to teach the lesson, they
demonstrate how projectile motion can be broken down into two components and show the
relationship between horizontal or vertical distance, time, and the angle at which the projectile
is launched. The first equation gives the horizontal position of the projectile as a function of
time and the second one gives the vertical position of the projectile as a function of time. The
variable x refers to the horizontal position, and y refers to the vertical position, the variable t
refers to the time that has passed since the projectile was launched (t=0 refers to the time
when the projectile is launched) and refers to the angle at which the projectile is launched.

(1) x(t) = x0 cos() t

(2) y(t) = x0 sin() t - (1/2) gt2

Galileo reasoned that a projectile is not only influenced by one motion, but by two. The motion
that acts vertically is the force of gravity, and this pulls an object towards the Earth at 9.8
meters per second. But while gravity is pulling the object down, the projectile is also moving
forward (horizontally) at the same time. This horizontal motion is uniform and constant
according to Galileo's principle of inertia. He was able to show that a projectile is controlled by
two independent motions that work together to create a precise mathematical curve. He found
that the curve has an exact mathematical shape called the parabola. Galileo concluded that
the path of any projectile is a parabola (see Figure).

Day 2: Discuss the difference between accuracy and precision (10 min)

Have two students demonstrate the concept, with one throwing the ball, the other marking
where it lands on the floor with tape. Have the class calculate the precision (yes, no,
somewhat) and percentage of accuracy (fraction of balls that landed in the net). Whats the
difference between accuracy and precision? As MathIsFun.com explains, accuracy is how close
a measured value is to the actual (true) value. Precision is how close the measured values
are to each other:

Keeping Score (20 min)

Have a student keep score of the teams accuracy and precision scores. Ask teams to sketch

Use the masking tape to mark where the

balls land if they dont get into the net. Accuracy (x/3*100) 33%, 67%, 100%
Precision (Yes, No, Somewhat). Encourage students to determine which
variables affect the accuracy and precision.
each robotic players precision pattern.

Further research (30 min)

Students research/brainstorm ideas for the future projects:
1. "Humans and Robots," a NASA educational brief describes the robotics
features on the International
Space Station. The brief's classroom activity is about making and using an ISS
grapple fixture known as an end effector:
http://er.jsc.nasa.gov/seh/Robot_PDF_Files/humans_and_robots.pdf

2. littleBits can be helpful in building robotic space arm:

3. Enabling the Future is described as A Global Network Of Passionate

Volunteers Using 3D Printing To Give The World A "Helping Hand."
http://enablingthefuture.org/ This Ted Talk is a good introduction to the idea
and the mission: https://youtu.be/peoZJRtnPiA

Additional Resources
How levers work. Straightforward animation explaining forces and fulcrums. [YouTube 1:43]
Simple Machines. Bill Nye, the Science Guy, explains catapults, levers, and other simple

machines. [YouTube 5:54]

Rebound Rumble! Computer animation describing the 2012 FIRST Robotics basketball

competition. [YouTube 3:00]

RoboWorld Basketball Cup 2012. Tiny mechanical humanoids compete for which can dunk the

most baskets.
How Stuff Works: Robotic Arm. Animated illustrations show how robotic elbows function.
Basketball STEM Project. Quick takes on the math, science, and technology of basketball,
including electronic scoreboards.

March Madness: The Science of Shooting The American Physical Association and North
Carolina State Universitys aerospace and mechanical engineering department created this short
primer and video.

Extra Credit

Shooting mechanics related to player

classification and free-throw success in
wheelchair basketball. Journal of
Rehabilitation Research and
Development, Dec. 2002. An analysis
of ball-release techniques, velocity, and
other quantifiable factors that could
improve player accuracy.