LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Project

Project Overview

Due Date: TBD

Points: 300 (30% of final grade)

Team Size: 3-4 students

Submission: In-person demonstration and written report via Canvas


Project Description

This is the major project for the course. Your team will design, build, and program a LEGO Mindstorms EV3 robot to complete a specific challenge. The project emphasizes creativity, problem-solving, teamwork, and application of engineering principles.


Learning Objectives

  • Apply the engineering design process to a real-world problem
  • Design and build a functional robotic system
  • Program sensors and actuators to achieve desired behaviors
  • Work effectively in a team environment
  • Document design decisions and project progress
  • Present technical work to an audience

Project Phases

Phase 1: Planning and Design (Week 4-5)

  • Form teams and review project requirements
  • Brainstorm design concepts
  • Create preliminary sketches and CAD models
  • Develop project timeline and task assignments
  • Deliverable: Design proposal document

Phase 2: Construction and Programming (Week 6-7)

  • Build robot prototype using LEGO components
  • Develop and test initial program code
  • Integrate sensors and motors
  • Conduct preliminary testing and debugging
  • Deliverable: Progress report and in-class demonstration

Phase 3: Testing and Refinement (Week 8)

  • Conduct thorough testing of robot performance
  • Refine design and programming based on test results
  • Optimize for speed, accuracy, and reliability
  • Practice presentation and demonstration
  • Deliverable: Final testing report

Phase 4: Final Presentation (Week 9)

  • Demonstrate completed robot in class
  • Present design process and results
  • Submit final project report and code
  • Deliverable: Final presentation, demonstration, and comprehensive report

Project Challenge

The specific challenge for this semester will be announced in class. Previous challenges have included:

  • Line-following robot race
  • Obstacle avoidance navigation
  • Object sorting and manipulation
  • Maze solving
  • Collaborative multi-robot tasks

Grading Rubric

Component Points Description
Design Proposal 40 Completeness and quality of initial design
Progress Report 30 Documentation of development process
Robot Performance 80 Functionality and completion of challenge
Code Quality 40 Programming structure and documentation
Final Report 60 Comprehensive project documentation
Presentation 30 Quality of final presentation
Teamwork 20 Peer evaluations and collaboration

Resources