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Create your pancakes with code!
This lesson introduces you to the concepts behind CNC Computer language called G-Code and walks you through a step by step introduction on creating your own computer generated pancake designs with your PancakeBot.
Outcomes/Objectives
Use G-Code to learn how to control PancakeBot and use the coordinate plane to create horizontal or vertical lines in G-code.
Lesson Overview
In this lesson, students will relate their earlier work with the coordinate plane to the PancakeBot. The teacher will demonstrate, using this exciting technology, a real-world application of this math skill. The teacher will show students how to use G-code to communicate with PancakeBot to print out horizontal or vertical lines on the machine’s coordinate plane.
After understanding the basic commands needed for printing out a horizontal or vertical line on PancakeBot, students will work in pairs to write the code. The teacher and/or other adults will circulate among pairs to give real time, constructive feedback on whether their code will work.
Students can then assess each other’s code, making any changes as needed. Once they are happy with their work, they can use PancakeBot one pair at a time to enter their code.
When all students have had a chance to enter their code, they can approach the PancakeBot one pair at a time to test out their code. Teacher or other adults in the room will assist with turning the machine on and off, filling the machine with pancake batter, clean up, etc. Each pair of students will create two lines using their code, so that they can eat the results afterwards.
At the end of the lesson, students will complete a short assessment, the Sample Coding Scenario sheet, that presents them with the following question: If Student X wrote the following code for PancakeBot, would it produce a horizontal line? Why or why not?
Teacher: Laptop, LCD projector, big G-code chart, PancakeBot, premixed batter, towels, forks and plates.
Students: 1 laptop per pair, G-code sheet, Sample Coding Scenario sheet, plates, forks, and assessments.
Grouping Strategy: Students can be paired according to their comfort level with the coordinate plane, their comfort level with technology, or their comfort level with programming languages. Goal-oriented students with greater stamina or a greater ability to try new challenges can be paired with students that need more support and encouragement. If all students are close in ability, pairing them according to stamina and readiness for challenge may be a good strategy.
Academic Vocabulary:
Programming language
G-Code
Zeroing
Extrusion
Polygon
Pressure
Vacuum Pressure
Calibration
Feed Rate
Standard
CNC
SAFETY FIRST
When operating the PancakeBot, there are few precautions one must take.
Become familiar with PancakeBot's G-code commands and a G-code file.
G-code Commands
PancakeBot is a CNC machine which uses basic commands to move the bottle to different places on the griddle, and drop pancake batter.
The commands are written in a programming language called G-Code that tells a machine how it should make a pancake.
Here is a list of the commands that commands that PancakeBot uses.