Rocket Control Center Date: June 17 - June 21 Mission control... we have LIFTOFF! Students will soar to new heights as they as build their own model rockets and watch them fly up to 1000+ feet in the air!! In this camp, students will explore different aspects of rocket science such as Newton’s Laws of Motion, propulsion, and aerodynamics, and will participate in experiments and demonstrations that make these concepts fun to learn. They will have multiple opportunities to launch their reusable rockets and will get to use increasingly more powerful engines as they get the hang of it (weather permitting)! Students will discover how different types of rocket body tubes, fins, and nose cones affect flight by launching multiple different styles of rockets and observing flight patterns. Additionally, they’ll construct a payload bay onto their own rockets and see if tiny objects can survive a launch! Students will also learn how to estimate the peak height and speed of their rockets through the use of measurements and mathematics. As an added bonus, we will attach cameras to the rockets in order to capture amazing in-flight videos. Houston—we are a FULL GO! What the students take home: Completed Rockets Grades: Rising 4th – 6th graders
Deep in Drones Date: June 17 - June 21 Students will spend an epic week designing, building, and flying their very own quadcopters. During the week, they will learn all about the science of flight as they design their drones to achieve compromises between speed, acrobatics, and stability. Students will start the class by designing their very own drone frames using computer-aided design (CAD). Their frame designs will then be laser cut out of wood or 3D-printed—their choice! Each design will be different and students will learn how to design for speed, stability, or maneuverability. Once the frame is done, students will learn all about the electronics and wire things together to get their drones airborne. Students will exercise their creativity and problem-solving skills by creating different designs and comparing them, and eventually select on one they want to take home. Throughout the camp, students will also spend time learning to pilot their drones by participating in unique sets of drone games that will allow them to push their piloting skills to the edge. And...above it all, all students will take their drones home at week’s end so that they can continue the fun! Students take home: A fully-functional quadcopter and transmitter along with a primary and back-up battery (with charger) Grades: Rising 6th – 8th graders
Bionic Bike Date: July 29 - Aug 09 It’s time to turn ordinary bicycles into tech-savvy rides! In this two-week long project, students will bring their bikes to camp and give them some amazing new capabilities with a computer device that they can program and attach to their bikes. They’ll program the device to act as a digital speedometer that measures how fast the bike is going and records what distance they traveled. They can program a burglar alarm that goes off if anybody tries to move their bikes that can only be turned off with a secret code. A high-brightness LED flashlight can also be added to their devices so that the bikes are easier to see at night! The students will work with Arduino microcontrollers to build their bike devices, and they will learn how to wire it together and program their devices themselves. Finally, to test the device, the students will hit the road and go on bike rides to see how well it works! They will securely attach the device to their bikes and will take it home at the end of the week! Requirement: Students will be required to bring their bikes to camp and store them at the camp from Monday to Friday. They will be going out for bike rides to test the equipment they build with the camp instructors throughout the two weeks. Students take home: Their programmed electronic devices attached to their personal bicycles Grade Bands: Rising 6th – 8th graders
Build-A-Bot Date: Aug 05 - Aug 09 We feel that to really appreciate the many aspects of robotics, children should be allowed to design, build and program their own individual robots—from scratch! In this camp, students will get the chance to create their own fully-functional robot using their imagination. They’ll spend time learning not just about the electronic components, but will code their bots to move, explore, and interact with their environment and ultimately do things that only students can envision. Students will start by designing their robotic frame using computer-aided design (CAD). Once done, these frames will be laser cut out of wood and provided to the students who then will incorporate a variety of electronics including motors, sensors, control electronics, and an Arduino board (mini computer). Finally, they will learn to code their creation to bring it to life in the way the want. Is your student ready for the exciting challenge of creating their own robot? Then this camp is the perfect choice! Students take home: Completed Bots with remote control Grades: Rising 4th – 6th graders