Pooper Scooper Challenge

Please find a PDF of this page HERE.

Task Description

Your task is to design a robot (a PoopBot) that can move towards a piece of fake poop, pick it up and dispose it. Design a scoop and attach it to your robot, then program it to remove the poop. Your PoopBot must begin behind the start line. 

Bonus points for if you can dispose of the poop in the designated area.

Materials Needed

  • Fake poop or some brown blocks
  • Masking tape or electrical tape for floor
  • An 8.5 x 11 piece of paper folded in half

Set up

Place a piece of fake poop on the floor. Make a mark on the floor with tape about 30-50 cm away. Setting up the robot at the same start location ensures consistency and will help with programming.
Mark another area with a piece of paper or cardboard taped down at least 50-100 cm away for the poop disposal. It is your choice whether or not to have the start, fake poop and disposal in a straight line.  

Note for Teachers

  • The robot does not require any sensors
  • Students are challenged to design and create their arms for picking up and disposing of the fake poop
  • Programming requires incorporating measurement of distance and angles in terms of wheel rotations, which requires multiplicative and proportional thinking

Design Notes

The fake poop can be a little slippery to pick up. A couple of innovative Grade 5 teams partnered up to make this task work. We gave them bonus points for working together.
Click here to see their video perform. 

© 2022 Dr. Krista Francis & Stefan Rothschuh