Crowing Rooster | BOSON Creativity Series

Overview

In this workshop, students will make a crowing rooster designed to alert us when the light transitions from darkness to brightness. They will begin by understanding the fundamental principles of BOSON, then proceed to experiment with the circuit to achieve the desired functionality. Finally, they will assemble the Cubee structure to give the rooster a lovely appearance.

Student Age

Grade 1-3

Time

45 min

Learning Objective

1. Gain a fundamental understanding of the BOSON circuit's basic principles.

2. Acquire the skills to construct circuits using BOSON.

3. Enhance hands-on abilities through practical application.

Project Goal

The light sensor measures the intensity of light, and the buzzer produces noise. We can use these two modules to create an electronic crowing rooster that wakes us up when the light changes from dark to bright.

Session Breakdown

Warm-Up     |     5min     |     The Story of a Crowing Rooster

Technical Analysis     |     10min     |     Understand the Basic Principle of BOSON Circuit

Hardware Connection     |     10min     |     Connect the Circuit

Cubee Assembly     |     15min     |     Assemble the Structure

Project Showcase     |     5min     |     Test and Share the Project

Warm-Up

It is the holiday, and Mike visits the countryside with his family. In the morning, he wakes up to the crowing of a rooster. Strange! Clocks make noise based on time, but how does the rooster know the time? Maybe it's the sunlight; the rooster crows when the light becomes strong. It must be interesting to make an alarm clock that works the same way as the rooster.

Technical Analysis

To build such a rooster, a light sensor will be used to senses how strong the light is. The light sensor is an analog input module, and it generates a signal within a certain range of voltage (0-5V) corresponding to the intensity of the light. When the light goes strong, the sensor generates a higher voltage, vice versa. We will also need a buzzer as the output module, so the rooster will be able to make some noise. The buzzer is an analog output module, which means that a higher voltage signal leads to a louder noise.

Just as simple as that! Connect the circuit as blow, you will get your own electronic crowing rooster.

Material Preparation

To realize the function, we will need the following modules and components.

Hardware Connection

Try to connect all the modules as the shown in the following connection diagram and see if it works out as what we’ve expected. Power the mainboard with either battery or USB cable. Don't forget to switch on the mainboard.

Cubee Assembly

Step 1: Form the Box

Step 2: Fold the Beak (1 Big 1 Small)

Step 3: Fold the Comb

Step 4: Fold the Tail

Step 5: Fold the Module Holder x 2

Step 6: Fix the Sensor

Step 7: Fix the Buzzer

Leave the rest modules inside the cube.

Step 8: Put Everything Together

Have your project's desired effects been realized? Experiment by placing the rooster in various locations to observe its reaction to light. Share the insights you've acquired and discuss the challenges you've successfully navigated.

Knowledge Expansion

Smart Device: The light serves as an analog input module, detecting light intensity and generating variable voltages accordingly. This is how a device can be influenced and controlled by its environment. Such a device, capable of sensing environmental changes and executing actions automatically, is commonly referred to as a "smart device."