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Sensor Calibration Two-Point Process

Run the Sensor Calibration Two-Point Process MicroSim Fullscreen

About this MicroSim

Type: MicroSim sim-id: sensor-calibration-explorer
Library: p5.js
Status: Specified Create a p5.js MicroSim with a 700 × 400 canvas.

Bloom's Taxonomy level: TBD

You can embed this MicroSim in your own course page with the following iframe:

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<iframe src="https://dmccreary.github.io/stem-robots/sims/sensor-calibration-explorer/main.html" width="100%" height="402" scrolling="no"></iframe>

Lesson Plan

Learning objective: Type: MicroSim sim-id: sensor-calibration-explorer
Library: p5.js
Status: Specified Create a p5.js MicroSim with a 700 × 400 canvas.

Suggested use (5-15 minutes):

  1. Predict first. Before touching the controls, ask students to predict what they expect to see.
  2. Explore. Have students interact with every control and observe how the display responds.
  3. Explain. Ask students to describe, in their own words, the relationship the MicroSim demonstrates.

Discussion questions:

  • What changed on screen when you interacted with the MicroSim, and why?
  • How does this idea show up when you program the real robot?

References

Specification

The full specification below is extracted from Chapter 8: Sensors and Data Input.

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Type: MicroSim
**sim-id:** sensor-calibration-explorer<br/>
**Library:** p5.js<br/>
**Status:** Specified

Create a p5.js MicroSim with a 700 × 400 canvas. Show a graph with:
- X-axis: "True distance (cm)" from 0 to 200.
- Y-axis: "Sensor reading (cm)" from 0 to 220.
- A diagonal "ideal" line (green) where sensor = true distance.
- A "raw sensor" line (orange) that is offset (starts at a non-zero Y intercept) and has a different slope.
- After clicking "Calibrate", the orange line transforms into a corrected line that overlaps the green ideal line.

Controls:
- "Zero offset" slider: adjusts the Y intercept of the raw sensor line (-20 to +20 cm).
- "Scale factor" slider: adjusts the slope of the raw sensor line (0.8 to 1.2).
- "Calibrate" button: applies the corrections and animates the orange line rotating/shifting to match the green line.
- A "Test point" slider moves a vertical cursor across the graph, showing "Raw: X cm, Corrected: Y cm, Error: Z cm."

Learning objective (Bloom's Taxonomy — Applying): students practice adjusting calibration parameters and observe how they reduce sensor error.

Responsive: redraw on window resize.