Crash Code: Mill Creek students apply science and technology to make vehicles safer

A 7th and 8th grade mixed-age science class at Mill Creek recently combined science and technology skills to solve a real world problem: “How can we make vehicles safer for everyone?”

 

This exciting project began in July 2025 at a summer training opportunity for science teachers. Mill Creek staff members learned about using “micro:bits” (mini programmable computers, about half the size of a credit card) and “CuteBots” (mini self-driving vehicles, controlled by micro:bits) with middle school students.

 

Inspired by the learning possibilities, teachers Liz Melvin and Melanie Dever wrote a grant for a team set of equipment so that all 108 of their students could program and experiment with these mini-cars. Thanks to generous funding from The Educational Foundation of Dexter, the project was off and running!

 

Before programming their own cars, students met with Elizabeth Kao, the director of Automated Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) at Bosch. Ms. Kao explained the “why” behind her work: saving lives on the road. She introduced students to the auto industry’s “Sense-Think-Act” safety model. She also shared current  ADAS technology and future challenges.

 

Students tackled a series of increasingly complex and independent coding tasks. They started by programming a micro:bit to light up when the room got dark, and ended by adding  emergency braking and adaptive cruise control to their CuteBots. These activities focused on preventing crashes, and keeping both occupants and pedestrians safe. The students developed resilience and problem solving skills as their code typically did not work as expected right away!

 

Early in the project, students could apply for a “Teaching Assistant” position. Students were selected based on their application and references. TAs helped classmates, supported teachers, and took on leadership roles. Some TAs participated in a competition at University of Detroit Mercy, where their CuteBots completed tasks that simulated challenges experienced by drivers with physical impairments. The Mill Creek team brought home the “Perfect Pitch” award!

 

While programming  their cars,  students also learned physics concepts such as forces, motion, and Newton’s Laws. Much of this learning happened through self-paced, mastery-based “workflows”, where students chose when they felt ready to demonstrate mastery of science concepts. Armed with this knowledge, students  designed impact barriers to reduce injuries in the event of an unavoidable crash. They  built models and tested them by crashing their CuteBots into both a solid wall and their impact barrier design. Data from the cars’ accelerometers helped students  measure the reduction in peak forces that vehicle occupants would experience. 

 

To hone their communication skills, students presented their findings at a team-wide symposium with community members, including representatives from Bosch. They explained both their collision avoidance features and impact barrier designs. Students received feedback after each presentation, and used that feedback to improve their next scheduled presentation.

 

Helm Connections