Engineering News

More NXT Project Ideas

March 12th, 2008

We also have many concepts for robotics projects using our sensors. Feel free to use any of them as a starting point for your explorations.

• Low-g Accelerometer

  Use the accelerometer as a tilt sensor (example 1, example 2), or use it to study acceleration of a robot itself.

• Magnetic Field Sensor

  Build a robot that migrates toward magnetic north (example), or a robot that finds a hidden magnet (example).

• Surface Temperature Sensor

  Have a robot explore a room and look for warm and cool spots. Have a robot detect a warm object by its heat, as some snakes can do (example).

• Dual-Range Force Sensor

  Measure the force or torque that a robot can produce, measure mechanical advantage of gear and pulley systems, measure friction force as a robot pulls an object.

• Gas Pressure Sensor

  Build an air compressor (example).

• pH Sensor

  Make a robot which sticks the probe in a glass and yells if it finds an acid (example), or test aquarium conditions, (example).

• Stainless Steel Temperature Probe

  Monitor the temperature of solutions; make a robot to make a cup of tea and monitor the temperature until it is ready for drinking and then sound an alarm; make an automated system to do temperature measurements (example).

• Soil Moisture Sensor

  Make an automatic plant watering system (example).

• UVB Sensor

  Study the effectiveness of sunscreens (example).

• Differential Voltage Probe

  Measure voltage supplied by the NXT batteries, study how batteries hold up under different conditions, study electrochemical cells.

• Current Probe

  Study the current used by the NXT as it runs the motors in various conditions, or test batteries, (example), or test the output of solar cells as they are raised and lowered by the NXT.

• Hand Dynamometer

  Study grip strength of students. One person has made a robot that makes a higher and higher tone as you squeeze harder and if you reach a certain limit, it says ouch!

• Conductivity Probe

  Study concentration of salt solutions or build an automated system to maintain a specific level of conductivity (example). This movie was done with a salinity probe, but the idea is the same.

• Dissolved Oxygen Sensor

  Measure the level of dissolved oxygen in a container of water before and after the robot shakes the container; monitor the status of an aquarium.

• Barometer

  Study air pressure for weather studies, or study small pressure changes cause by the Bernoulli effect.

• Extra Long Temperature Probe

  Make a robot that lowers the probe into a lake slowly to monitor temperature profile of the lake.

• Instrumentation Amplifier

  Measure small voltages (mV).

• 25-g Accelerometer

  Measuring acceleration in collisions between robots, or parts of robots.

• Relative Humidity Sensor

  Use as part of a weather station.

• Light Sensor

  Use to study lighting levels. Even though the NXT comes with a light sensor, this one is very different in two ways. It has a spectral response that approximates the human eye (vs the NXT light sensor, which is more sensitive to infrared light. This sensor has a switch to allow you to select one of three ranges, from the brightest sunlight to dim lighting.)

• O₂ Gas Sensor

  Studying the exhaled breath of a human, or maybe monitoring O2 use in a chemical reaction.

• Salinity Sensor

  Test ocean and estuary samples or build an automated system to maintain a specific level of conductivity (example).

• Sound Level Meter

  Build a robot that decides which group of students is loudest and heads toward them.

• Colorimeter

  Use to do Beer's law experiments on the concentration of a solution.

• Charge Sensor

  Make a robot to move a charged object near the charge sensor and study how the charge measured varies with distance.

• ORP Sensor

  Measure oxidation reduction potential, for example in a swimming pool.

• Force Plate

  Measure force when students jump.

• Flow Rate Sensor

  Measure the flow rate of a stream.

• Electrode Amplifier

  Use with a pH probe that you already own. It has a standard BNC connector.

• Thermocouple

  Measure flame or oven temperatures.

• Turbidity Sensor

  Measure the clarity of water.

• UVA Sensor

  Measure UV produced by lamps.

• Infrared Temperature Sensor

  We normally do not list the infrared temperature sensor as compatible with the NXT, since it will not work at temperatures below about 22°C, but can be used as long as you work with objects warmer than normal room temperature. For example, you could make a robot that rotates the sensor around and finds the warmest object.

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Vernier and LEGO® Education

August 15th, 2006

Vernier Software & Technology is excited to be a part of a collaboration with LEGO Education, National Instruments, Tufts University, and Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Academy.

Read LEGO Education's full press release at: http://legoeducation.typepad.com/blog/2006/08/news_release_au.html

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Vernier Introduces New Multifunctional SensorDAQ Interface for Engineering Education

July 5th, 2006

Beaverton, OR - July 5, 2006 - Vernier Software & Technology, a producer of award-winning science and technology for science and math educators, and National Instruments (NI), a leader in virtual instrumentation, are collaborating to create a powerful, affordable data acquisition interface for use by high school engineering students. The Vernier SensorDAQ, scheduled for release in December 2006, is a USB interface that provides an extremely easy connection to over 50 Vernier sensors, as well as screw terminal connections for customized data acquisition and control projects. The Vernier SensorDAQ is an essential component for creating custom content for engineering education.

Vernier customers are already looking forward to the new interface. Michele Perrin, a teacher at St. Louis University High School in St. Louis, Missouri, said, "SensorDAQ will give my students hands on opportunities to design, analyze and control sensor-based systems and add excitement to my high school engineering courses."

The SensorDAQ is designed for ease-of-use while still providing the versatility and power required in engineering education. Ease-of-use starts with quick hardware setup using a USB connection. Simply plug Vernier sensors into SensorDAQ's four ready-to-use channels. SensorDAQ can automatically detect and calibrate Vernier sensors, meaning no confusing wiring and setup�just connect and collect. Three channels accommodate more than 50 different Vernier analog sensors, including temperature, acceleration, dissolved oxygen, gas pressure, pH and force. The fourth channel is a digital channel for Vernier motion detectors, photogates, radiation monitors, rotary motion sensors and drop counters.

In addition to the three analog and one digital channel for Vernier sensors, the SensorDAQ includes a combicon connector with screw terminals. These terminals include two general-purpose analog input channels (which can be either 13 bits single-ended or 14 bits differential), four digital input and output lines and one analog output channel. These connectors provide the versatility required for customized data acquisition and control projects in engineering education.

In addition, the SensorDAQ integrates with National Instruments LabVIEW graphical programming software for custom programming and has full NI LabVIEW Express programming capability. NI LabVIEW is an industry-standard graphical development platform used for text, control and design applications.

"We're very pleased to be collaborating with National Instruments," said David Vernier, co-founder of Vernier and a former physics teacher. "Helping to provide an exciting and hands-on learning experience for students is imperative to building interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers. NI has a long history of collaboration with academia to provide the latest industry-standard technologies to inspire students to pursue engineering and science degrees, facilitate learning experiences and improve retention. We are happy to work with NI in this endeavor. LabVIEW graphical programming software is used by engineering students all over the world. LabVIEW, SensorDAQ and our line of sensors are a great combination for high school engineering education."

Ray Almgren, vice president of product marketing and academic relations at National Instruments, said, "National Instruments low-cost USB data acquisition products have been rapidly adopted in the academic market. By adding the Vernier sensor adaptor to our standard USB data acquisition product line, many secondary schools will now be able to use their Vernier sensors with LabVIEW and NI data acquisition products. Our joint collaboration with Vernier to develop this product will lead to more hands-on learning experiences in the secondary school and early college curriculum."

For 20 years, scientists and engineers worldwide have used LabVIEW intuitive graphical programming to interface with real-world signals, analyze data and share results and applications in projects ranging from communicating with the Mars Pathfinder to controlling the scanning tunneling microscopes of nanotechnology. LabVIEW also is used in high school science classes and is one of the most popular software tools in university science and engineering laboratories.

About Vernier Software & Technology

Vernier Software & Technology has been an innovator of data-collection technology for 25 years. Creating easy-to-use and affordable science interfaces, sensors, and software, their products can be found in education from elementary school to college. Vernier helps teachers enhance their science curriculum, increase learning, and build students' critical thinking skills. For more information, visit www.vernier.com.

About National Instruments

For 30 years, National Instruments (www.ni.com) has been a technology pioneer and leader in virtual instrumentation - a revolutionary concept that has changed the way engineers and scientists in industry, government and academia approach measurement and automation. Leveraging PCs and commercial technologies, virtual instrumentation increases productivity and lowers costs for test, control and design applications through easy-to-integrate software, such as NI LabVIEW, and modular measurement and control hardware for PXI, PCI, PCI Express, USB and Ethernet. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, NI has more than 3,900 employees and direct operations in nearly 40 countries. For the past seven years, FORTUNE magazine has named NI one of the 100 best companies to work for in America.

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