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What’s in the pack?
What is computer control?
Many types of technology can be controlled, including mechanisms and electrical components.
Computer control provides unique opportunities for students to develop elegant and precise solutions
in a simple way. The idea of students using a computer to control can appear daunting but in reality
when the K’NEX Computer Control software is used it is a surprisingly easy, rewarding, and creative
process.
At its simplest, computer control involves using a computer to control electrical devices e.g. lights,
buzzers and motors. This may also involve the use of switches as input devices. An interface box, such
as the K’NEX interface, is required to interpret the information given to and from the computer and
provide the right amount of power for the electrical devices.
It is important to remember that it is we that control the technology, and not the other way around!
Most of the technology that we use everyday is simple to control e.g. using knobs and switches to
turn things on and off. For those of us involved in educating students about control, this is the place to
start. The most basic of these involves using a simple switch to control a light.
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