STEM Coding Max

Model 3: Outdoor light

Brightness for dark corners

Grade
5-7
Time required
1-2 Double lesson
Difficulty level
Model: easy, Programming: easy
Model type
Mobile device, individually positionable and usable for lighting
Download didactic material

MODEL DESCRIPTION / TASK

The students plan and realize a lighting system that can be positioned at any location. The system activates a white LED light when motion is detected by a sensor. The light turns off after a specified time period. The system operates only when there is a certain level of brightness, activating itself in darkness.
To expand the system, differentiation can include integrating an additional switch. This allows for manually turning the light on and off for continuous illumination.

EVERYDAY RELEVANCE

The automatic triggering of an action has a strong motivational effect on students. Triggering the physical property "light" is quick and easily understandable for everyone. Additional possibilities for enhancing the basic task allow for personalization of the theme.

Integrating this topic into pre-vocational orientation could focus on information technology career fields. Automated switching based on detecting physical properties is widely used in many areas. Particularly, detecting movements is increasingly important in various fields of information technology, such as gesture control.

Key questions

  • Where can automatic lighting be used in everyday life? (Communication)
  • What functions should the system ideally fulfill? (Collaboration)
  • Under what conditions should the system turn on or off? (Critical thinking)
  • What factors should be considered to ensure the system can be used at different locations and operates reliably? (Creativity)

Subject relevance
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Informatics
Basics of programming, time loops
Mathematics
Proportionality Theorem
Technology
Stable building, Constructiontechnology
Physics
Light, Change in motion
Biology
Light colors in plant growth

Lesson progression
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Introduction phase
Planning phase
Construction phase
Programming phase
Experimentation phase
Final phase

 

Information and Notes
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Methodical and didactic tips
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Differentiation Options

The system can be extended so that the lamp can also be operated manually.

Motivational aspects

The topic of lighting is familiar to all students from their everyday lives. Automatic detection of conditions is also commonplace in many smart applications. Therefore, students are familiar with and use automatic brightness adjustments from smart devices or motion-sensing lighting solutions.

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Additional material

  • For the introduction to the topic, consider using a real object related to lighting such as cabinet lights, night lights, or similar.
  • Use drawing tools like paper, a whiteboard, or a projection surface as visual aids.

Building instructions

Circuit diagram

Functions of the model and their technical solutions
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Functions of the sensors

 

Technical solution

 

Detection of a movement

 

 

Evaluating the signals on the gesture sensor

 

Output of light

 

 

Illumination of the white LED

 

Differentiation:Initiating a manual lighting process

 

 

Input of a signal on a push-button

Material lists​

Material list Basic circuit of the lighting system
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Sensors
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Function


1 RGB gesture sensor


1. Switching on the system only in the dark

2. Triggering of the switching process on movement
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1 Button


Switching for manual use of the system

 

Actuators
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Function


1 LED, white
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1. Lighting

 

 
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Material list Differentiation task of the lighting system
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Sensors
​

Function


1 RGB gesture sensor


1. Switching on the system only in the dark

2. Triggering of the switching process on movement
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2 Buttons


Manual activation for continuous operation and in darkness

 
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Actuators
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Function


1 LED, white
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1. Lighting
 
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