Design a magnetic tool holder

**This activity gets students to use their knowledge of electromagnetism in order to design and build a magnetic tool holder for a surgical robot. **

Students learn how simple scientific principles can be used in sophisticated applications, how electric circuits can be switched on and off, and the factors that can affect the strength of an electromagnet.

Activity introduction
Each group is a dedicated design team with a compelling mission – to craft a comprehensive outline design for a tool holder tailored to seamlessly integrate with a surgical robot’s arm.

The task at hand:

• Each surgical tool boasts a magnetic fitting, necessitating the utilisation of an electromagnet within the tool holder to ensure a secure grip.
• A dynamic approach is required considering the diverse range of sizes and weights among these tools; This entails varying the electromagnet’s strength to account for this.

Guided by these challenges, teams will brainstorm, innovate, and collaborate to present their inventive solutions in a concise one-minute presentation to the rest of the class and assessed according to the success criteria on the design brief.

The engineering context
Telemedicine employs contemporary communication technology to provide medical diagnoses and patient care, even when the physician and patient are geographically separate.

Remote surgery entails utilising robotic systems within the operating room to aid surgeons during procedures. The surgeon observes the patient through a terminal and controls robotic surgical instruments using a specialised console.

Suggested learning outcomes
Upon completion of this activity, students will gain an understanding of the capabilities of surgical robots. They will grasp the transformation of basic scientific principles into intricate applications, comprehend the functioning of electric circuits’ activation and deactivation, and discern the variables impacting the strength of an electromagnet.

Download the free activity sheet!

All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable so that you can tailor them to your students and your schools’ needs.

The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, helpful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

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