How a Human Arm Bends

This activity is designed to enable students to be able to gain an understanding of how a human arm bends due to muscular contraction, to understand that a robot arm can use contraction or rotation to achieve movement and to understand that shape memory alloys can revert back to a previous shape when heated. Robot arms are an example of a programmable system. They are used in a wide variety of industrial applications, ranging from loading machines to assembling cars, welding parts together and spray painting products. They are also used in applications such as bomb disposal and repairing spacecraft as they orbit the earth. In this series of activities, students will design and model the physical elements of a robot arm and demonstrate how this could be achieved using a smart material. Students can then subsequently use this information to support the design of a robot arm. The teacher notes give clear and comprehensive details on how the activities are to be delivered.