I'm about to start a Code Club at a local secondary school, courtesy of a couple of days as part of the STEM Network. That involved working with Year 7 students on a "make a security device/container" project, using microbits. One of the staff involved asked me if I was interested in supporting a Code Club, what could I say?? Anyway, some ideas for entertainment may be required...
And in respect of that, how about designing/building a washing machine?? Not a fully functional one of course, but at least getting the kids to think about what the requirements for a washing machine are, how they could be met, and programming/building some of the more interesting aspects.
Ideas include:
- Water Temperature (variable)
- Heating control
- Washing powder/softener/pre-wash release
- Water valve controls, water height/volume
- Motor speed, intermittent vs spin cycle
- Wash Programmes (separate value settings vs. validity, or "packaged" programmes?)
- All the interlocks (doors, water height, stop/start/reset etc)
- Timers of all sorts
- Front panel display and controls (content, complexity, UI aspects, warning sounds/signals etc)
- The future of washing machines?? Online interface? Security concerns? Phone control app (using
All of this could be coded on microbits, with physical "simulation" of some kind or other. It could be a multi-team/person project, with each group working on a different aspect, and having to coordinate.
More on this later...
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