NASA/NSTA Web Seminar:

Mapping the Moon: Simulating LOLA in the Classroom

The Search for Lunar Ice

LIVE INTERACTIVE LEARNING @ YOUR DESKTOP

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Mapping the Moon: The Search for Lunar Ice

This is a hands-on web seminar involving a process of data gathering, interpretation, prediction, and

testing

May 13, 2008

Don HigdonDr. Susan Hoban

University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Supported through NASA Exploration Systems Mission Directorate

Review last web seminar’s objectives:

• Simulation of satellite data gathering using an ultra sound motion detector

• Acquire a topographic map of simulated lunar surface

• Select a landing site for lunar rover

Collecting Data from LunarLand Using a Motion Detector

Review (cont)

• Obtain a topographic map of the lunar surface for the purpose of selecting a landing site

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Topographic map of lunar surface

Today’s Agenda:

• Search for Lunar Ice

• Utilization of topographic map

• Robotic exploration

The BOT in today’s demo is Faraday

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Search for Lunar Ice: A simulated NASA mission

• Why is ice interesting? Living on the Moon requires lots of water Water is too heavy to transport in large quantity

• Why might we expect to find ice on the Moon? Clementine radio data Lunar Prospector neutron data

Robots First …

• Projected lunar exploration will be robotic

• LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) is scheduled to go in November 2008

• Human visitation perhaps in a decade

Have you ever programmed a robot before?

YES NO

Requirements

• Teamwork

• Interpretation of topographic map

• Some “BASIC” programming

Recall the Goal:

• Use calibration data (for BOT)

• Interpret topographic map for your section

• Calculate travel distance for the BOT

• Report code to Susan

• Observe BOT navigate to the lunar ice!

Distance Calculation for BOT

• The BOT is calibrated at 2.5 rots / cm

• “rots” is a programming variable name related to wheel rotation

• The team must decide how many “rots” will make the BOT travel the calculated distance of their section based on the BOT’s calibration

• Report this number in a table to Susan

Program the BOT

• Each team must provide two program instructions to Susan: The number of “rots” which will govern the distance

the BOT travels A turning direction (right or left, looking toward the

front of the BOT)

• Remember, Susan programs exactly what you tell her

Demonstration of the Process

• Don measures a path for the BOT (in cm)

• He then calculates the “rots” based on the calibration of the BOT (2.5 rots / cm)

• Susan programs his instructions

• Observe motion of the BOT

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Topographic map of lunar surface

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Demonstration Path

• The BOT should travel in a straight line from point-X to point-D, then turn right.

• Don measures the distance as 63 cm.

• Calculation:

63 cm x 2.5 rots /cm = 158 rots

Susan Programs …

Rots Turn Direction

158 Right

Don enters data into table

No

Now test the program . . .

Questions for Don?

Type your questions on the chat regarding

how to calculate the number of rots before

we send the teams to their rooms.

Shift Happens …

• At the last web seminar a landing site was selected by polling the participants

• Notice that the BOT did not land in that selected place

• Uncertainty prevailed, and the BOT landed only near-by, requiring 10 program instructions to get to the ice crater.

Teamwork

• Each team ( A, B, C, D, and E) will take responsibility for one part of the total path

• Team A calculates from position-A to position-B, and so on …

• We will combine each team’s work and test the BOT from the landing site at A to the lunar ice at F

Team Captain

• Flavio will assign a “Team Captain” who must report the group’s decision

• Your team only has five minutes to decide how much distance and the number of “rots” to program.

• Time permitting you will have one more chance to fix any problems

Houston, Faraday has landed…

• Teams: please report to your “rooms” and report back in 5-minutes (see the Timer!)

• One distance (in “rots”)

• One turn direction (right or left)

Data Table # 1

Team Rots Turn Direction

A

B

C

D

E

Houston, we have a problem …

• We will now observe how the BOT performs:– First, section by section – Second, as a connected set of instructions

• After observation the teams will have one more opportunity to correct the program

After Reconsidering …

• Teams return to their rooms

• Adjustments are made to the instructions

• Teams report out to Susan

• Last run of the BOT

Data Table # 2

Team Rots Turn Direction

A

B

C

D

E

Success!! Or …. Oh well, it’s only money …

• Remember, in reality, there is only so much you can do once the BOT has landed … imagine all the teamwork and all the pieces that have to fit!

• Thanks for playing!

Don and Susan

How could you do this simulation in your classroom?

Some of you may have access to this (or similar) technology…

Others may not have this technology…

Write your ideas on the chat…let’s discuss

NASA logo

Thanks to our presenters, Don Higdon and Dr.

Susan Hoban, and to NASA for sponsoring this

program

http://www.elluminate.com

Elluminate logo

http://learningcenter.nsta.org

NLC screenshot

National Science Teachers AssociationGerry Wheeler, Executive Director

Frank Owens, Associate Executive Director Conferences and Programs

Al Byers, Assistant Executive Director e-Learning

LIVE INTERACTIVE LEARNING @ YOUR DESKTOP

NSTA Web SeminarsFlavio Mendez, Director

Jeff Layman, Technical Coordinator