Instructions
This worksheet explores concepts from the simulated genetics of Wobbledogs and the robotics of the Lego Education Spike Prime set. Read each section carefully and answer the questions to the best of your ability. Think critically about how biological concepts can inspire engineering designs.
Part 1: Simulated Genetics & Evolution
In the game Wobbledogs, dogs mutate and pass on their genes. Let's explore the principles behind this.
1. Dominant & Recessive Genes: Imagine a Wobbledog gene for leg count. The gene for having four legs (L) is dominant, and the gene for having six legs (l) is recessive. If a dog with genes (Ll) breeds with another dog with genes (Ll), what is the percentage chance their offspring will have six legs? Explain your reasoning (you may use a Punnett square to help).
2. Mutation: A mutation is a random change in an organism's genetic code. Describe one hypothetical mutation in a Wobbledog that could be considered beneficial, one that could be detrimental, and one that could be neutral.
- Beneficial:
- Detrimental:
- Neutral:
Part 2: Bio-Robotics Design Challenge
Your challenge is to design a simple robot using the Lego Spike Prime set that mimics a specific Wobbledog behavior. First, choose one of the following hypothetical Wobbledog traits:
- Trait A: Patter-Paws. The dog gets excited by bright light and rapidly taps its front paws on the ground.
- Trait B: Wobbly Walker. The dog's legs are unstable, causing it to walk with a distinct side-to-side wobble.
- Trait C: Food Seeker. The dog uses a sensor (like a nose) to detect when it is close to a food source and moves toward it.
3. Design & Components: Which trait did you choose? List the key Spike Prime components (e.g., Color Sensor, Medium Motor, Distance Sensor) you would need to build a robot that mimics this trait. For each component, briefly explain its function in your design.
Chosen Trait:
Components & Function:
4. Behavioral Logic (Pseudocode): Now, describe the program's logic for your robot. You don't need to write actual code. Just write a series of simple, step-by-step instructions, like a recipe, that the Spike Prime Hub would follow. Use "IF-THEN-ELSE" statements to describe decision-making.
Example: IF the Distance Sensor sees an object closer than 10cm, THEN stop the motors. ELSE, keep moving forward.
Your Robot's Logic:
Part 3: Critical Thinking - Emergent Behavior
In Wobbledogs, complex behaviors can emerge from the simple rules of the game's simulation. Similarly, in robotics, programming a few simple rules can lead to surprisingly complex and seemingly "intelligent" robot behavior. This is called emergent behavior.
5. How might the simple rules you programmed in question 4 lead to an unexpected or emergent behavior when your robot interacts with a complex environment (e.g., a room with moving objects or changing light levels)?
Answer Key
Note: Some answers, particularly in Part 2 and 3, are examples. Well-reasoned alternative answers may also be correct.
1. Dominant & Recessive Genes:
The chance is 25%. For an offspring to have six legs, it must inherit the recessive gene (l) from both parents, giving it the gene pair (ll). A Punnett square for two (Ll) parents looks like this: LL, Ll, Ll, ll. Only one of the four possible outcomes is (ll), which equals 1/4 or 25%.
2. Mutation:
- Beneficial Example: A mutation that gives the dog stronger legs, allowing it to move faster to get food.
- Detrimental Example: A mutation that prevents the dog from being able to eat, leading it to perish quickly.
- Neutral Example: A mutation that changes the dog's eye color from blue to green without affecting its vision or ability to survive.
3. Design & Components (Example Answer for Trait A: Patter-Paws):
Chosen Trait: Patter-Paws
Components & Function:
- Spike Prime Hub: To run the program and power the components.
- Color Sensor: To detect the ambient light level. This will be the trigger for the behavior.
- Two Medium Motors: One for each "front paw." They will be programmed to move back and forth rapidly to create the pattering motion.
- Wheels/Legs (for stability): The rest of the robot would need a stable base, possibly with wheels, so it doesn't fall over while pattering.
4. Behavioral Logic (Example Answer for Trait A: Patter-Paws):
Robot's Logic:
- Start the program.
- Enter a loop that runs forever.
- Inside the loop, check the value from the Color Sensor.
- IF the sensor detects a reflected light percentage greater than 60% (bright light):
- THEN run both Medium Motors forward and backward in short, quick bursts for 3 seconds.
- ELSE (if the light is not bright):
- THEN ensure both Medium Motors are stopped.
- Wait for a moment, then repeat the loop.
5. Emergent Behavior:
An example for the "Patter-Paws" robot: If the robot is placed in a room where a person is walking around with a flashlight, its simple rules would cause it to start and stop pattering its paws seemingly at random as the light beam hits its sensor. To an observer who doesn't know the rules, it might look like the robot is "reacting with excitement" or "dancing" in response to the person's movement, which is a more complex behavior than was explicitly programmed. It emerges from the interaction between the simple rules and the dynamic environment.