Solar Powered (B.E.A.M) Bots: Make your own solar powered robot to follow the sun!

This challenge introduces in the field of electrical engineering. With robots powered by solar panels, the students will engage in an integrated application of photovoltaics. In the robots as energy storage, capacitors are used which after being charged by the panels give their energy to the load through an appropriate electronic circuit. By experimentation, students will understand in practice how photovoltaic panels work, how they store energy that they supply to the load (for consumption) and of course they will see both advantages and disadvantages (which particularly the latter does not seem out in the conventional STEM implementations involving photovoltaics). Beyond the energy issue, students will come in contact with simple electronic circuits and the basic elements that constitute them.

Knowledge acquisition gain

Skills: Introduction of the world of design process and on how engineers work / encourage problem-solving skills / practical application of science and math in engineering / developing critical thinking / support teamwork, motivation, troubleshooting and learning from failure / understanding of the materials and their role in the engineering process. Science concepts: electricity / electromagnetism / law of electromagnetic induction / electric circuit / electric circuit / intensity / voltage / conductivity / resistance / capacitor / DC motors / solar power / quantum model of the atom / energy levels / photoelectric effect / light / wave-particle duality / photons / electrons.

STEM careers and labor market

Electrical Engineering: Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that deals with the study and application of the principles of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. The invention of the transistor and the integrated circuit, made electronics cheap enough so that they can be used in almost every household object.

Electronic Engineering is an electrical engineering discipline which utilizes electrical components such as transistors, diodes, capacitors, resistors, LEDs and integrated circuits to design electronic circuits, devices, microprocessors, microcontrollers and other systems. Electronics is a subfield of electrical engineering field that covers subfields such as analog electronics, digital electronics, consumer electronics, embedded systems and power electronics. Electronic engineering deals with implementation of principles of solid-state physics, radio engineering, telecommunications, control systems, signal processing, systems engineering, computer engineering, instrumentation engineering, electric power control, robotics, and many others.

Responsible Research and Innovation

RRI challenges the methodologies to be used in STEM education

Gender is an issue in STEM teaching

Inclusion is a driving force for STEM learning

Group

3-4

Duration

210 min

Number of staff

Science Discipline

Engineering

Education Level

12-18 years

Installation effort

No installation required on typical computer

Knowledge prerequisites

Intermediate

Setting

Classroom use
Outdoors

Supervision required

Teacher supervision required

Technical requirements

You'll need to buy some materials