Set up a simple course in the classroom and have the children walk through it. Blindfold one of the children and have them take turns guiding each other through the course using only verbal instructions. Talk to the students about the differences between navigating the course using all of their senses vs. doing it blindfolded. This illustrates the power of our visual sense and why it is important for robots to have it as well.
Gather enough small objects so each student can have one of their own. Wooden blocks, small toys and books are good demonstration items. Hand out to sticks to each child and instruct them to lift and move the object using only the sticks. Discuss how our sense of touch assists in manipulating items and our understanding of how firmly we need to grab something.
Blindfold students and ask them to tie their laces. Have students put on heavy gloves and repeat tying their laces. Tape tongue depressors to the thumbs and forefingers of the gloves and have them tie their laces again. Discuss how each sense assists in a simple, everyday task. To make the project more difficult, have the students try to tie their laces with pliers in each hands.
Direct the students to make a list of everyday tasks they would like a robot to assist them with. Pick of few of the best suggestions and have them list which of the five senses are necessary to accomplish the task. Have each student choose their own favorite task and draw a robot that can accomplish it. Have them explain how they incorporated the necessary senses into the robot's design.