STEM with Vernier® and LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT Lab Book
14 ready-to-use lab activities and 4 design-and-build robotics projects using Vernier NXT Sensor Adapter, Vernier Sensors, and LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT.
Strain Gage Measurement
Create a Wheatstone half-bridge circuit with two strain gages, and measure the strain on an aluminum cantilever beam as a load is applied.
Monitor Force Threshold with LED
This project introduces the wiring and programming required to control the SensorDAQ digital output lines programmatically. The project will then demonstrate how to combine sensor input with digital output by monitoring a Dual-Range Force Sensor and turning on an LED if the reading goes above a threshold value.
RC Servo Motor
Learn the basics of pulse-width modulation and control the angular position of a servo motor based on temperature readings.
Sun Tracker
Build a single-axis sun tracker to balance a light source between two sensors. This is a good example of a sensor-based control system.
Build a Temperature Sensor
Build your own temperature sensor with a voltage divider circuit, and calibrate your data with an off-the-shelf sensor. This activity shows you how to create your own LabVIEW subVI.
Building a Virtual Thermometer with SensorDAQ
This is a good introductory activity to learn the basics of LabVIEW programming with step-by-step programming instructions. Collect and display temperature data in degrees Celsius and degrees Fahrenheit.
NXT Ice Skater
Our ice skater simulates the change in rotational speed when ice skaters extend or tuck in their arms.
Photodiode Switch
Control the on/off operation of an LED using light level readings from a photodiode.
Solar Cell
Measure the current and voltage of a solar cell to investigate the effect of irradiance angle on the total power output.
Tea Maker
We decided to build a robot that simplifies the tea brewing process. It does everything short of boiling the water.
