There are sprinter zooks and block pusher zooks. Sprinters have small bodies with thin fast legs like spiders (6 or 8 legs). Block Pushers have squat strong bodies with many sets of legs like centipedes.

We will make a sprinter that moves like a real animal or insect

But first we need to look at the way animals move and especially how their legs move.

Animal movement in the real world

Scientists at Berkeley are looking at the real world to help them design robots

1. Make a folder called Bamzooki in your Home drive
2. Open Word and make a title Bamzooki with your name and Class
3. Save the document as bamzooki_yourlastname in your Bamzooki folder
4. Put your name and class at the top and the title Bamzooki with the date
5. look at the following 8 minute film

Robo Roach movie

Work in pairs but answer the following questions in your own Word document

• Where is the research taking place?
• What does ROACH stand for?
• What does the scientist compare the state of robotics to?
• A scientist at Berkeley picks up a cockroach – what kind of cockroach is it?
• Look at the way this cockroach moves – write down the sequence of its legs moving.
• Use smartshapes in word to draw a square ( with lines to represent legs) and show the order that the legs move.
• How does Professor Ron Fearing describe real animals insects (Organisms) movement?
• In a paragraph describe the steps that go into making the body and legs of a Robo Roach
• Look at the crab – what order do its legs go in?
• What toy does the scientist compare the springiness of all 2, 4, 6 and 8 legged organisms to?
• Look at Robo Roach carefully – what is the order of its legs moving?
• What practical use could Robo Roaches be after a disaster and why?
• Describe another practical use.
• Write a paragraph about Geckos and why they are interesting to scientists.

The Bamzooki Interface

Let’s take a look at the Bamzooki program

Open up the Zook Kit

Press on the Website Zooks tab

Open up one of the website zooks – save it.

Press TEST to get the zook moving.

Play around and have some fun getting to know the interface.

Make the zook sprint or block push

See if your zook is faster or stronger than your partner’s.

SHORTCUTS

You can STOP the zook by clicking on the EDIT TOOL

You can ADD parts to the zook by clicking on the ADD TOOL

You can go around and under your zook by using the RIGHT mouse button

HOMEWORK

Go to this excellent site for animal movies

http://www.arkive.org

Pick TWO animals or insects and write a paragraph on how each moves (in Word) and bring in next time.