WORLD THREAT FROM HSOs

Roamer may first appear in the nursery but King Edward VI School are discovering it is capable of providing exciting and challenging projects for older pupils. Head of CDT, Keith Farley-Pettman has set the problem below for his year 9 students. Their solutions will be published in the next issue of GO.

• Situation: Twenty Hazardous Spherical Objects (HSOs) have been discovered. They are harmful to humans and must be disposed of. They must be carried to a safe disposal site across a flat plain that contains other hazards. If the HSOs come into contact with these hazards there will be terrible consequences.

• Brief:Design and make a system to dispose of the HSOs. You must form a team of 3 or 4 people to work together. You have been allocated the following resources:

1 - Really Original And Musical Experimental Robot (ROAMER).
Various Fischertechnik construction components.

• Latest Information: There are three more weeks before the HSOs destroy the world. The HSOs are in a trough, open at each end. One end is hinged to a platform above ground level.

• Suggested Strategy:Discuss the problem with your team, noting all the important questions and ideas. Allocate responsibility to each member of the team.

• Homework: A newspaper wants a detailed report of the situation. Describe an interesting scenario based on the above. Maximum length one side of A4.