This project was created by the Foster Indigenous Innovation in Robotics Education team at the American Indian Science and Engineering Society.

Explore the accompanying resources for thoughtful discussion points!

Lesson Plan
Teacher Worksheet
Saguaro cactus in the desert, hazy mountains loom in the background

Ha:shañ is the O’otham word for the saguaro cactus. The harvesting of its fruit, called baithaj, marks the beginning of the O’otham New Year.

Stress from excessively hot and dry weather can kill the cactus. When the cactus gets too hot, it
can turn brown and wilt. If we can identify which cacti need our help, we can help them by providing things like shade cloths.

The first step is monitoring! Let’s build a robot to monitor cactus health.

The solar sensor will help us monitor how much direct sunlight the cactus is receiving.

Prepare

You’ll need the following items to complete this project:

Build

First, let’s build our Ha:shañ monitoring device with the building blocks and robotic components from the Climate Action Kit:

As you build, think about what each part of the robot represents.

Code

Explore the code below to get started using your Ha:shañ monitoring device:

  • Connect your project to the computer and download the starter code to make it work!
  • Review the code comments on each block to learn about how your device works, then try testing it in real life. For example, what happens when you cover or shine a flashlight on the light sensor?

Improve

How would you modify the sample code provided, or create your own code that includes the following features?

  • Temperature & dry moisture warning based on safe Ha:shañ growing environments

Feeling Stuck? Explore the Knowledge Base for common questions and troubleshooting tips.

Knowledge Base