Lesson in Coding

Robot programmed to make PB&J sandwich

Lesson+in+Coding

A peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a favorite meal among kids, was made on Feb. 7, but not by human hands. It was made by a robot programmed by Dave Effland’s Principles of Information Technology classes.

The class had recently learned about coding and in order to present what they had learned, they coded a robot to complete the process of making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which was chosen due to its simplicity. They completed the assignment in a day.

“I thought it would be fun since he [Effland] brought in real peanut butter and jelly,” junior Tyler Barker said.

Students had to code the robot to have it open the jars, grip the knife, have the knife gather some of the peanut butter and jelly from the jars, and smear the peanut butter and jelly on the pieces of bread. However, students faced complications as the peanut butter stuck to the jar, making it difficult for the robot to remove it from the jar.

“The sandwich didn’t come out very well,” Barker said.

This sandwich-making robot was only a one class period activity and mainly a success. The class will now focus on other techniques than coding.