Warning: Do not turn the Servos by hand. Doing so can damage mechanisms inside the Servos.
- Refer to the video and notice how the movements of these two Servos differ.
STEM Connections
A Servo (short for servomotor) is a small motor that moves in response to signals from a computer and other devices (such as an Arduino board). There are several different types of Servos. This activity uses two types: a standard Servo and a continuous Servo.
A standard Servo can be instructed to move to any angle in a half circle (from 0 to 180 degrees) and remains there until instructed to move again.
A continuous Servo can be instructed to spin left or right in a full circle at different speeds and will continue to spin at that speed and direction until instructed to do otherwise.
When mechanical engineers construct moving systems, they often use Servos to create precision movement.
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It may be helpful to have both Servos working to demonstrate to students the movements they make. We use old projects with Servos in them, as it helps to show how they can be used in a project. Alternatively, you could act out the motion of the Servo with your body or have student volunteers act out these movements.
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You can also use your arms to act out the different functions of the Servos. The shoulder is like the continuous Servo because you can swing your arm around and around. The standard, or small, Servo is like the elbow. Show how your arm from the elbow can only move 180 degrees.
If you are using the Thinkabit Lab Notebook:
Further explanations of the Servos can be found on pages 16 and 17 of the notebook. You may choose to visit this now or later during the Explore More component.
Servo horn, the top piece attached to the Servo, is broken
- Do not replace the Servo because hot glue will be used to attach to it.
Servo horn missing
- Attach a horn on the Servo or replace the Servo.