I Robot, Can Do That

Construct an underwater robot to explore below the surface. Change to the robot to make it work to meet your expectations.

Engineers team up to design and construct an 18-inch-long robotic arm that can successfully pick up a paper cup. Each group is given the exact same set of materials, but it is up to them to decide what to use and how to use it. It is a...

Junior oceanographers and underwater geologists describe the four major steps of mass spectrometry. They compete in small groups to simulate the tracking of a deepwater methane plume using imaginary autonomous underwater vehicles. Give...

How do robots assist ocean explorers in collecting data and images? The final installment in a five-part series has science scholars examine underwater images collected by robots and identify the organisms shown. Groups then calculate...

It's time to boldly go where your class has not gone before! The introductory lesson in a five-part series takes young oceanographers aboard the NOAA Ship Okeanos to begin a study of ocean exploration. The lesson includes a comparison of...

Students design an underwater vehicle. In this engineering instructional activity, students will design an underwater robot that includes specific systems for it to function properly. Each group will present their prototype to the class.

Nano-nano! Nanotechnology can seem like it's from another planet! After learning about this tiny technology, collaborative groups experiment with how smaller particles affect chemical reactions. They do this by immersing a whole and a...

How can a robot measure the length of something when we don't know how far the camera is from the object? The lesson explains the concept of perspective and many others. Scholars apply this knowledge to judge the length of fish and the...

Welcome to the deep sea, off the coast of Pakistan! Follow the biologists as they observe the ocean floor and take samples with the help of underwater robotics. Especially interesting is the abundance of methane hydrate which, when lit...

Human bodies can conduct electricity—that doesn't sound like it would feel good! Learners explore conductivity through the use of this simulation. They see why metals conduct electricity and plastics don't and why some materials will...