Education
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Age Range: 11-14 | 14-16
Duration: 30-59 mins
  • D&T
  • Physics

Robot swarms

Write a set of rules for governing the behaviour of a robot swarm used in search and rescue operations

The use of different types of signals is hugely important in all areas of healthcare. Signal processing engineers are involved in everything from extracting information from the body’s own electrical and chemical signals to using wireless signals to allow search-and-rescue robot swarms to communicate with each other.

Together with related activities, this resource allows students to investigate the wide range of sophisticated imaging technology available in modern hospitals, and to explore the latest ideas in search-and-rescue robotics.

Activity info,  teachers’ notes and curriculum links

This activity gets students to work in small teams to create a set of simple rules which can be used to control a robot swarm designed to help in search-and-rescue-type scenarios such as earthquakes. The 'Robot Swarms' student brief sets the scene.

The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Download the activity sheets for free below!

All activity sheets and supporting resources (including film clips!) are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students' and your schools' needs.

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