Optimal Efficency

Before we start sequencing our drone, let’s learn some key terms.

• Automation: The technique of making a process happen by itself
• Program: A set of instructions a computer uses to do a specific task
• Programming: The action of writing computer programs
• Programming Language: A specific way computer instructions can be written

Optimal efficiency means achieving the most work in the fewest number of steps. In computer science, this is important because computers don’t have unlimited time and memory to do work.

When writing code, computer programmers must write efficient programs, or optimize their code. Otherwise, the computer might get overwhelmed or take too long to respond to a request. More code also takes up more storage space.

If you’ve ever played and noticed that the game is lags or that an item you picked up didn’t show up in your inventory, there’s a chance the code wasn’t optimized.

Did you know?

The question, “What is the shortest possible route to deliver each package?” is a question that mathematicians and computer scientists have been asking for almost 200 years! It is called “The Travelling Salesman Problem,” and many people have tried many different ways to solve it.

Package Delivery

Some companies, like Amazon, have used drones to help deliver packages! Now you’ll have a chance to program your own delivery drone. As you learned  the process of writing computer programs is called programming.

When you hear the word programming, you might picture someone sitting at a computer with something like this on the screen. But really, programming is just a set of instructions. It is a way to answer the question, “What is the best way to do this task?”

Before you start on the complicated stuff, let’s try something easy. Using a sequence of arrows as directions, what directions would you give this drone to get to this house?

Did you know?

Moving one square up is the most efficient direction.

Let’s try something just a little harder.  What direction would you give the drone to get to the house?

Did you know?

If you said, “one down, one right” or “one right, one down” you are correct! This is the most efficient path.

Sequencing Your Drone

Our goal is to write efficient programs that make the drone complete the tasks using the fewest possible steps.  Computer scientists use a programming language to tell computers what to do, but in the following puzzles, you’ll use arrows.

Rules to Follow

You need to program the drone to get from the warehouse to the three houses in the most efficient ways. There are a few rules you’ll have to follow.

• The drone can move up, down, left, or right. It cannot move diagonally.
• The drone can only move one spot per instruction.
• Your goal is to solve the puzzle as efficiently as possible. This means using the fewest steps possible.

Complete the Puzzles

You have three puzzles to complete. Download and print the puzzles to complete them. You will draw the best path and then use the boxes at the top to record the directions with one arrow in each box.

Each puzzle will add a new level of complexity. The second puzzle will add a few powerline obstacles that you must avoid and fly around. The third puzzle will involve a farm where animals might be present, so you’ll have to avoid flying through the farm in order to not scare the animals!

Check Your Puzzles

After you’ve completed the puzzles, use the answer sheet  to view the solution to each puzzle. You could have created other ways of solving these puzzles, but your goal is the most efficient route, which is what is shown in the solution.