Robot Rover

Testing of the kinds of motors that will be used on the wheels shows that the probability that a motor will fail in 60 days of start-stop-start running is 3 out of a thousand, or 0.003.

Subject: Problem Solving; Mathematics
Topics:
- Probability
- Solve Multi-Step Problems
Grades: 7 – 12
Concepts:
- Probability (explicit)
- Independent events (explicit)
- Variable (implicit)
Knowledge and Skills:
- Can carry out binary operations with decimals
- Can solve multi-step problems
- Can find the probability of “AND” and “OR” combinations of independent events

Download Activity: Robot Rover (PDF)

Problem Solving Movie:

Reliable RobotsReliable Robots

Robotics engineers at NASA's Ames Research Center design, build and test robots used for missions in space that are too dangerous or impossible for humans. It can take years of testing to ensure that the robots that are sent to the Moon and Mars will be reliable.
Running time 5:00 minutes.

Watch the Movie