High School / HS-02
Available Grades 9–12 Robotics & controls Aerospace
Hold a motor-and-prop arm level on a single-axis pivot, tune a PID controller by experiment, and log step responses to measure overshoot and settling time.
Students build a single-axis, tethered "seesaw" test stand: a 400 mm laser-cut birch arm on an 8 mm shaft and two ball bearings, with a small brushless motor and a guarded 2.5 in prop at each end (200 mm from the pivot). The base is clamped to the bench, hard stops limit the arm to ±30°, and the props sit inside ring guards behind a clear polycarbonate shield. An ESP32 Feather reads an MPU-6050 IMU on the hub at 200 Hz, fuses accelerometer and gyro with a complementary filter, and runs a PID controller that mixes the two motor throttles differentially.
Students first measure their own plant: the arm's moment of inertia, gravity stiffness and damping from a free swing (Lab 1), and the thrust curve from a moment-balance on a 0.1 g scale (Lab 2). Then they predict the step response from a model, tune P → PD → PID, log step responses at 100 Hz, compute rise time, overshoot, settling time and steady-state error, and compare with the simulator (analysis/pid_sim.py). Two documented tuning iterations are required, judged by data, not by feel.
Safety model in one line: props removed for every upload and wiring change; powered runs only with the base clamped, enclosed guards on, the adult holding the ENABLE button, shield up, Z87+ glasses on, everyone ≥ 1 m away, and an adult at the battery XT30 (the hardware kill). See safety.md.
Students will:
Every high school pack includes worked math and physics, prediction-versus-measurement labs, at least two design-and-test iterations, data logging, a rubric, and documentation templates, plus printable Builder's Corner build journal pages.
Parts, specs, quantities, and estimated unit costs, with places to buy. Prices change; anything marked as an estimate is an estimate. Links were checked when the BOM was written.
Totals are computed from the line items below. Prices were read from vendor pages on the dates shown and will change. Rows tagged estimate have no verified link and are planning numbers only.
| ID | Part & spec | Qty | Unit (typical) | Line (typical) | Where to buy | Cheaper substitute | Adult handling / safety gear |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E1 | ESP32 Feather V2 (controller) Adafruit PID 5400 · ESP32-PICO-MINI-02, USB-C, STEMMA QT; includes male header | 1 | $19.95 | $19.95 | adafruit.com Adafruit $19.95 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | Adafruit HUZZAH32 Feather (PID 3405) works with a hand-wired I2C cable; no GPIO38 button, so use the serial kill only | Header soldering: adult supervision, eye protection, ventilation |
| E2 | IMU — MPU-6050 6-DoF breakout Adafruit PID 3886 · ±4 g / ±500 °/s used, DLPF 44 Hz; 26.0 × 17.8 mm; STEMMA QT; I2C 0x68 | 1 | $12.95 | $12.95 | adafruit.com Adafruit $12.95 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | Any MPU-6050 breakout wired to 3V3/GND/SDA/SCL (same library); generic boards vary in quality | — |
| E3 | STEMMA QT cable 200 mm (Feather → IMU on the hub) Adafruit PID 4401 · JST SH 4-pin; route with a slack loop so it does not torque the arm | 1 | $1.25 | $1.25 | adafruit.com Adafruit $1.25 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | — | — |
| E4 | Feather female header kit Adafruit PID 2886 · 12 + 16 pin; lets jumpers plug into the Feather | 1 | $0.95 | $0.95 | adafruit.com Adafruit $0.95 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | Use the included male header + female/male jumpers | Soldering (see E1) |
| E5 | Male/male jumper wires 150 mm (40) Adafruit PID 758 · ESC signal + ground from Feather to the ESC servo plugs | 1 | $3.95 | $3.95 | adafruit.com Adafruit $3.95 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | Adafruit PID 1956 75 mm 20-pack ($1.95, verified) if the Feather sits close to the arm | — |
| E6 | USB-A to USB-C data cable Adafruit PID 4474 · ~1 m; laptop stays behind the shield | 1 | $4.95 | $4.95 | adafruit.com Adafruit $4.95 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | Any USB-C data cable you own (low total assumes owned) | — |
| E7 | Momentary push button, normally open, + 1 m 2-core cable The adult's ENABLE (dead-man) button on GPIO32 → GND | 1 | $4.00 estimate | $4.00 | Electronics supplier (no link) — | Any NO arcade/panel button | — |
| Subtotal | $48.00 | Low-cost path: $43.05 | |||||
| ID | Part & spec | Qty | Unit (typical) | Line (typical) | Where to buy | Cheaper substitute | Adult handling / safety gear |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | Brushless motor EMAX TH1103 7000KV 1103 size, 7000 KV, M2 3-hole mount, 5 mm centre clearance, T-mount props, 26 AWG leads (vendor page). Direction set by ESC wiring | 2 | $11.99 | $23.98 | racedayquads.com RaceDayQuads $11.99 each · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | HappyModel EX1103 7000KV ($12.99 in the RaceDayQuads search listing 2026-10-09; product page not fetched) — check the prop mount matches | Motor-lead soldering: adult supervision |
| P2 | ESC Hobbywing Skywalker V2 15A, 2–3S RC PWM input, factory throttle range 1100–1940 µs, signal loss > 0.25 s = motor off, arms on a low-throttle signal (Hobbywing manual); 15 A cont / 30 A peak; SBEC 5 V 2 A (NOT used — red servo wire isolated); 10 g; 38 × 17 × 5 mm; no input connector (vendor page) | 2 | $15.99 | $31.98 | racedayquads.com RaceDayQuads $15.99 each · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | Any 2S-rated 50 Hz PWM ESC with a documented throttle range and signal-loss cutoff; edit uToUs() to its range | Battery-lead soldering and first power-up through the smoke stopper: adult only |
| P3 | Props Gemfan Hurricane 2520 tri-blade 2.5" (8: 4 CW + 4 CCW) 64 mm disc, 1.5 mm T-mount, 1.0 g, polycarbonate (vendor page). Spares included | 1 | $4.49 | $4.49 | racedayquads.com RaceDayQuads $4.49 (8-pack) · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock (Clear Gray; Whiskey variant showed out of stock) | None smaller recommended: the 72 mm guard bore assumes a 64 mm disc. Never fit a larger prop | Props on only for powered tests, with guards, shield, glasses (safety.md) |
| P4 | LiPo 2S 450 mAh, XT30 Gaoneng GNB 2S1P, 14 × 17 × 61 mm, 28 g, JST-XH balance lead. Title says 7.4 V; the spec table lists 7.6 V nominal — charge as standard LiPo (4.20 V/cell) | 2 | $9.99 | $19.98 | racedayquads.com RaceDayQuads $9.99 each · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | Current-limited bench supply set to 7.4 V / 3 A (removes LiPo risk; not priced here) | LiPo: adult charges, inspects, stores (safety.md §4). Ground-shipping only |
| P5 | LiPo balance charger ToolkitRC M6AC (AC/DC, charge current settable 0.1–15 A in 0.1 A steps) Built-in AC input 100–240 V (also DC 7–35 V); LiPo 1–6S with balance port; XT60 output. SET 0.4 A for the 450 mAh pack (≈ 0.9 C) before every charge (ToolkitRC M6AC manual V1.1: Charge Current, step 0.1 A). Do NOT use the ToolkitRC U3/U3 V2 (fixed 2.0 A = 4.4 C on this pack) | 1 | $71.99 | $71.99 | racedayquads.com RaceDayQuads $71.99 · checked 2026-10-13 · Not recorded | Any balance charger the school owns whose current can be set ≤ 0.45 A (check its manual) | Adult-only charging at 0.4 A, never unattended, on a non-flammable surface, inside the LiPo pouch |
| P6 | Charge adapter XT30 (male) to XT60 (female), 100 mm 18 AWG RDQ SKU FPVE-XT30-XT60-Cable · connects the XT30 pack to the M6AC's XT60 output. Before ordering, check the connector genders mate with your charger port and your pack | 1 | $2.49 | $2.49 | racedayquads.com RaceDayQuads $2.49 · checked 2026-10-13 · Not recorded | NewBeeDrone XT60 female to XT30 male 2-pack (RDQ, not priced here) | Check polarity (red to red) with the multimeter before the first charge |
| P7 | LiPo safe pouch RDQ LiPo Safe Pouch; charge and store packs inside | 1 | $7.49 | $7.49 | racedayquads.com RaceDayQuads $7.49 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | Metal ammo can with the seal removed (not priced) | Required for charging and storage |
| P8 | Smoke stopper XT30/XT60 JHEMCU; use for every first power-up after wiring changes | 1 | $6.99 | $6.99 | racedayquads.com RaceDayQuads $6.99 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | None — keep it | Adult performs first power-up |
| P9 | XT30 pigtails 20 AWG (4) NewBeeDrone; one male for the arm harness, one female for the battery extension, 2 spare | 1 | $5.99 | $5.99 | racedayquads.com RaceDayQuads $5.99 (4-pack) · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | Loose XT30 connectors ($0.99 each in the RaceDayQuads search listing; page not fetched) + wire | Soldering: adult supervision |
| P10 | Silicone wire 20 AWG (1 ft red + 1 ft black) Battery extension (~60 cm, so the battery and the XT30 kill sit behind the shield) + ESC leads along the arm | 3 | $1.99 | $5.97 | racedayquads.com RaceDayQuads $1.99 (20 AWG option) · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock (some gauges showed out of stock) | — | — |
| P11 | Heat-shrink set (150 pcs) Every solder joint covered | 1 | $8.49 | $8.49 | racedayquads.com RaceDayQuads $8.49 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | Electrical tape is NOT a substitute on battery leads | Heat gun / iron: adult supervision |
| P12 | Motor screws M2 × 4–5 mm (6) and T-mount prop screws Often included with the motor; RDQ page lists only '1x motor', so check on arrival; plus 6 × M2 flat washers | 1 | $3.00 estimate | $3.00 | Hobby/hardware store (no link) — | — (buy them: the low total no longer assumes they ship with the motors) | Use thread-locker sparingly on metal threads only |
| Subtotal | $192.84 | Low-cost path: $192.84 | |||||
| ID | Part & spec | Qty | Unit (typical) | Line (typical) | Where to buy | Cheaper substitute | Adult handling / safety gear |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | Baltic birch plywood 3 mm, 12 × 20 in Wood Vault, Laser/CNC grade 1/8" variant. Cut files use 3 sheets; 1 spare for the fit coupon and mistakes | 4 | $3.50 | $14.00 | woodvault.com The Wood Vault $3.50 per sheet (1/8" Laser/CNC grade variant) · checked 2026-10-09 · Not confirmed (page contains a 'Sold out' label for at least one variant) | Any laser-grade 3 mm birch; Woodworkers Source 10-sheet pack seen in search at $71.10 (not fetched, not used) | Laser: trained adult operator, ventilation |
| M2 | Flanged ball bearing 8 mm REX ID × 14 mm OD × 5 mm (2-pack) goBILDA 1611-0514-4008; pressed into the upright laminates | 1 | $5.99 | $5.99 | gobilda.com goBILDA $5.99 (2-pack) · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | Same part at ServoCity ($5.99, seen in search results) | — |
| M3 | 8 mm REX shaft 96 mm, stainless, with E-clip goBILDA 2106-4008-0960; 30 g; 7 mm hex flats drive the arm hub | 1 | $5.39 | $5.39 | gobilda.com goBILDA $5.39 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | — | — |
| M4 | Clamping collar 8 mm REX, 20 mm OD × 9 mm goBILDA 2910-0920-4008; M4 pinch bolt; 0.5 mm built-in shim faces the bearing | 2 | $4.99 | $9.98 | gobilda.com goBILDA $4.99 each · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | — | — |
| M5 | Wood glue (aliphatic) small bottle Laminations and tab joints | 1 | $6.00 estimate | $6.00 | Hardware store (no link) — | Shared with other packs | — |
| M6 | Ballast: M4 × 20 bolts + nuts (2 sets) Lowers the CG to tune m·g·d (Lab 1) | 1 | $2.00 estimate | $2.00 | Hardware store (no link) — | Any ~5 g of washers | — |
| M7 | Felt or foam pads for the stop posts Self-adhesive, ~3 mm | 1 | $3.00 estimate | $3.00 | Hardware store (no link) — | Folded tape | — |
| M8 | C-clamps, ≥ 50 mm opening (2) — the bench tether Clamp the base to the bench at the engraved CLAMP zones before every powered run | 2 | $6.00 estimate | $12.00 | Hardware store (no link) — | Spring clamps are NOT enough | — |
| M9 | Zip ties, small (≤ 2.5 mm) ESC mounting and strain relief | 1 | $3.00 estimate | $3.00 | Hardware store (no link) — | Shared | — |
| M10 | goBILDA 1522 spacer 8 mm ID × 10 mm OD, 12 mm length (4-pack) 1522-0010-0120 · one per side between bearing inner race and hub; 10 mm OD bears on the inner race only | 1 | $4.99 | $4.99 | gobilda.com goBILDA $4.99 (12 mm variant on the series page; re-check the variant) · checked 2026-10-13 · Not recorded | Plywood SPACER WASHERS (sheet 3; fragile) | — |
| M11 | goBILDA 1522 spacer 8 mm ID × 10 mm OD, 2 mm length (4-pack) 1522-0010-0020 · one per side with the 12 mm spacer to fill 14 mm; adjust end play | 1 | $2.79 | $2.79 | gobilda.com goBILDA $2.79 · checked 2026-10-13 · Not recorded | Plywood SPACER WASHERS | — |
| Subtotal | $69.14 | Low-cost path: $60.14 | |||||
| ID | Part & spec | Qty | Unit (typical) | Line (typical) | Where to buy | Cheaper substitute | Adult handling / safety gear |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | Safety glasses, ANSI Z87.1 Z87+ (high-impact) (one per person at the station) 3M SecureFit SF201AF · clear anti-fog polycarbonate lens marked Z87+ (ANSI Z87.1 impact-rated; 3M spec table on strobelssupply.com and safetycompany.com, read 2026-10-09) | 4 | $5.32 | $21.28 | platt.com Platt Electric Supply $5.32 EA · checked 2026-10-09 · 40 in stock (company-wide) | Any glasses marked Z87+ (ANSI Z87.1 high-impact). Not SparkFun SWG-11046: it lists only CE/EN 1836, a sunglass standard, not impact-rated | Required for everyone within 2 m during powered runs |
| S2 | Clear polycarbonate shield ≥ 600 × 450 mm, ≥ 2 mm thick, with feet Stands between the operators and the stand; polycarbonate, NOT acrylic (acrylic shatters) | 1 | $35.00 estimate | $35.00 | Plastics supplier / hardware store (no link) — | A commercial clear desktop safety screen; a wire-mesh cage around the stand | Required for every powered run |
| S3 | Fire safety for LiPo work (sand bucket or Class ABC extinguisher) Within reach of the charging and test area | 1 | $0.00 estimate | $0.00 | School (no link) — | Assumed owned | Adult |
| S4 | Aluminium woven mesh, 4 × 4 per inch, 0.025 in wire (opening ≈ 5.7 mm), ≥ 200 × 400 mm Four Ø90 mm guard discs (top + bottom of each guard). Opening must be ≤ 6 mm | 1 | $12.00 estimate | $12.00 | Hardware / industrial supplier (no link) — | Any metal mesh with ≤ 6 mm openings and ≤ 0.3 kg/m² (window screen works but tears easily) | Adult cuts it (tin snips, gloves): sharp edges |
| S5 | Clear PETG sheet 0.5 mm, ≥ 100 × 300 mm Two 26 × 295 mm guard shrouds | 1 | $6.00 estimate | $6.00 | Plastics supplier (no link) — | 0.5 mm polycarbonate | — |
| Subtotal | $74.28 | Low-cost path: $74.28 | |||||
| ID | Part & spec | Qty | Unit (typical) | Line (typical) | Where to buy | Cheaper substitute | Adult handling / safety gear |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Temperature-controlled soldering iron Pinecil | 1 | $68.50 | $68.50 | sparkfun.com SparkFun $68.50 · checked 2026-10-09 · Not recorded | Any temperature-controlled iron the school owns (low total assumes owned) | Adult supervision, eye protection, ventilation |
| T2 | Lead-free solder 15 g SparkFun | 1 | $4.95 | $4.95 | sparkfun.com SparkFun $4.95 (single-unit price) · checked 2026-10-09 · Not recorded | — | Wash hands after soldering |
| T3 | Digital multimeter Continuity + DC volts (battery checks, no-short check before first power) | 1 | $21.50 | $21.50 | sparkfun.com SparkFun $21.50 · checked 2026-10-09 · Not recorded | Assumed owned in the low total | — |
| T4 | Digital calipers 150 mm Measure L, CG offset, and the thrust-post distance | 1 | $19.95 | $19.95 | sparkfun.com SparkFun $19.95 (single-unit price) · checked 2026-10-09 · Not recorded | Steel rule (±0.5 mm) — note the larger uncertainty | — |
| T5 | Digital scale 0.1 g, 600 g Lab 2 thrust map (moment balance) and Lab 1 test masses | 1 | $33.98 | $33.98 | newegg.com Newegg (third-party seller) $33.98 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock (page data) | Any 0.1 g pocket scale ≥ 200 g | — |
| T6 | M2.5 nylon screw + standoff set Adafruit PID 3299; mounts the Feather and the MPU-6050 | 1 | $16.95 | $16.95 | adafruit.com Adafruit $16.95 · checked 2026-10-09 · In stock | — | — |
| T7 | Hex keys (metric), hobby knife, sandpaper, masking tape Collar pinch bolts, cleanup | 1 | $12.00 estimate | $12.00 | Any (no link) — | Assumed owned in the low total | Knife: cut away from the body |
| T8 | Laser cutter access or cutting service 3 sheets, 3 mm birch | 1 | $15.00 estimate | $15.00 | Makerspace / cut service (no link) — | — | Trained adult operator |
| Subtotal | $192.83 | Low-cost path: $70.88 | |||||
The pack is digital files only. Hardware is bought separately.
These are standards the pack's activities are mapped to by Laue Labs. They are not a certification or endorsement by any standards body or state.
The activities below are mapped to these standards by Laue Labs. This is an alignment aid for teachers. It isn't an official certification or endorsement by NGSS, Achieve, NGA/CCSSO, or any state. Check against your state's adopted standards.
| Performance expectation | Where it shows up |
|---|---|
| HS-PS2-1: analyze data to support the claim that Newton's second law describes the relationship among net force, mass, and acceleration | Rotational form I θ̈ = Στ; Lab 1 free swing and Lab 2 moment balance |
| HS-ETS1-2: design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems | Plant identification → sensing → control law → tuning |
| HS-ETS1-3: evaluate a solution based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs | Lab 5 spec (overshoot vs. settling vs. disturbance rejection vs. noise) |
| HS-ETS1-4: use a computer simulation to model the impact of proposed solutions | pid_sim.py predictions before every tuning change |
Science and engineering practices: developing and using models; planning and carrying out investigations; analyzing and interpreting data; using mathematics and computational thinking.
| Standard | Where |
|---|---|
| HSF-TF.B.5: model periodic phenomena with trigonometric functions | Free-swing oscillation, period and amplitude |
| HSF-LE.A.1/A.4: exponential models; solve exponential equations with logarithms | Logarithmic decrement, damping ratio |
| HSG-SRT.C.8: use trigonometric ratios to solve problems | atan2 tilt from the accelerometer; static tilt balance |
| HSS-ID.B.6: fit a function to data; use residuals | Lab 2 least-squares fit T = T_max u² and residual check |
| HSN-Q.A.1–3: units, quantities, appropriate accuracy | Every lab table |
One student or one household.
You may:
You may not:
One homeschool family, or one co-op group of up to 10 learners with its facilitator(s).
You may:
You may not:
One teacher with up to 30 students in a single class or cohort.
You may:
You may not:
All licenses: digital files only (hardware not included). Keep Laue Labs attribution on printed handouts. After checkout you get an instant download on the thanks page. License questions, more learners, or site licenses: lance.haney@gmail.com.
