Interactive Servo Systems and Prototyping

This unit advances students’ skills in integrating actuators, sensors, and user I/O to create interactive Arduino projects, including servos, distance/motion sensors, audio output, and small printers. Students will program, test, package, and publish functioning prototypes while using serial tools and the Arduino Web Editor and engaging with maker-community workflows.

Learning Objectives

• Program and upload Arduino sketches (using Serial Monitor and Arduino Web Editor) to control servo motors and read distance and motion sensors to achieve specified movement and sensing behaviors.
• Design and construct an integrated prototype combining servos, sensors, and output devices (audio/printer) with a documented circuit diagram and enclosed packaging that meets defined functional requirements.
• Demonstrate systematic testing, calibration, and debugging techniques—using serial output, sensor data, and iterative trials—to diagnose and resolve hardware and software issues and verify performance against acceptance criteria.
• Evaluate and communicate project outcomes by producing step-by-step documentation and digital artifacts (Instructables, video, forum post) and presenting work in peer workshops, reflecting on safety, usability, and collaborative feedback.