| program from http://www.webopedia.com
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| A program is like a recipe. It contains a list of ingredients (called variables) and a list of directions (called statements) that tell the computer what to do with the variables. The variables can represent numeric data, text, or graphical images. | ||||
Get to know the NXT system through LEGO:
LEGO site - Look at the right side "Overview" to view the NXT, sensors, and NXT software.
How to organize your NXT set:
Jason Bartholme does a great job at explaining how to organize your NXT set: click here
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Programming the NXT:
ortop.org - Oregon Robotics Tournament and Outreach Program (ORTOP) associates itself with the FLL program. This site has a great website package in learning the NXT system. Try the link to learn more about the NXT system.
The NXT by ORTOP.ORG - great basic foundations
NXTetude - gives full programs that you can copy and play with
Examples:
Look at each example and see if you can identify how things work and why they are in the sequence that you see. Can you figure out what kind of robot that each was made for?
http://www.euskalnet.net/kolaskoaga/programz/nxt/NXT_g01.jpg
Simple you say. What does this program do? What more can you do with this? What robot is this for? What sensors does it use?
bnxt.com, this is an example of something interesting. What does it do and how does it work? What robot is this for? What sensors does it use?
Click on image to get a better view. Can you figure this one out? What part look familiar? What robot is this for? What sensors does it use?
http://bnxt.com/blog/images/dominocode.png
From hightechkids.com, what does this program do? What more can be done with this program? What robot is this for? What sensors does it use?
http://daniele.benedettelli.com/robots/OmniBiped/Biped_program.jpg
What does this do? How does it work? What robot is this for? What sensors does it use?
http://www.tau.ac.il/~stoledo/lego/RTZ/RTZ%20Forwardd.png
What does this do? How does it work? What robot is this for? What sensors does it use?
http://home.earthlink.net/~xaos69/NXT/AlphaRex_Avoid_Obstacle/graphics/AR_Obstacle_Avoid.JPG
This has some personalized blocks (custom made), but you will be able to figure out what it does. The personalized blocks are tough ones to figure out, but can be done. What robot is this for? What sensors does it use?
http://www.plazaearth.com/usr/gasperi/images/nxtgblue.jpg
Hmmm... Is this communicating something to the display?
http://www.crnkovic.org/img/nxtg1.jpg
What does this do? What can you use this for? What kind of robot will this be for? How does it work?
http://mynxt.matthiaspaulscholz.eu/robots/slug/Slug.rbt.jpg
This is an interesting program for a very interesting robot. http://mynxt.matthiaspaulscholz.eu/robots/slug/
You want to learn some of the program blocks and see what makes this robot work. Make sure you have an extended set before building this robot. Please figure out the program first.
Remember these: Have this read to you. Click here.
- Know the problem and have at least three solutions.
- Have an educational guess about your best solution you want to try.
- Always create a building plan (blue print) that shows how it functions (use arrows to show movement).
- Testing your creation, adjusting your program and build, recording results, and doing these things over and over until the results are to your expectations are all part of robotics.
- Do a historical documentation of each step up to solving the problem. Always take pictures and document all results and adjusted solutions.
- Make sure your teacher always views each step as a way to demonstrate your true results. Ask for help, but not the answers.
Ask questions, look for ideas, or find troubleshooting tips:
ask Robohi <--- visit "For Educators" and look up topics (posts). There is more than one page of stuff. Make sure you are registered before trying to post something.
Work stops here ... (Review all programming)
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Basic building with the NXT:
LEGO offers the basic building instructions for the basics. You can download each one and either show it on the big screen or print out for each team. This is the basics that LEGO wants to you to play with to learn the system. With what you've already learned about programming, you can program the drivebase unit with all its attachments.
Drivebase instructions and other attachments
Have the following ready before programming:
Make sure the NXT USB cord is plugged in on both your computer and NXT, your computer is on, and the NXT software is loaded.
http://www.ni.com/images/academic/us/controller.gif
http://www.nxt-mindstorms.com/images/thumb/f/fc/Controller.jpg/180px-Controller.jpg
Something about engineering (if you missed it on the previous page):
Ideas for sensors:
1. Light sensor = line follower (different shades), can help robot to sense something, and then either move a certain way or do something. Example of use, avoid line or follow line.
2. Touch sensor = allows for sensor to be pressed, depressed, bumped and then do something or move a certain way. Example of use, avoid wall or falling off a table.
3. Rotation sensor = allows for sensor to sense how many rotations it's going through. Example of use, to measure out length of one part of a maze.
4. Ultrasonic sensor = allows for sensor to send out an ultrasonic sound, bounce back, and for sensor to receive bounce and calculate distance through RCX program. Example of use, to help robot avoid or go closer to an object it detects.
Activity (revisiting gears and wheels):
Large wheels cover a large surface area, meaning this could make a vehicle fast. Smaller wheels does not cover a large surface area thereby would make a vehicle very slow. Thin wheels do not give good grip because of the lack of surface area, while wide wheels would cover a larger surface area. Mix this with big gears and small gears. Which would make the best combination for torque? Which would make the best combination for speed? Make a chart to seperate big gear and small gear (going across) and the different kinds of wheels (going downwards). Build a basic four wheel vehicle with the different kinds of gears and fit it with different wheels and jot down all findings. Teachers please guide your students. In a spreadsheet you will be able to create a bar chart to see the results. For torque, drag a set of keys. For speed, mark start and end then race the different vehicles. Again, record your results. Take notice of the different kinds of threading on the wheels, you may want to expand your experiment by going on different kinds of terrain. What wheels do well on rough ground? What wheels do well on smooth surfaces?Extra intermediate activity:
In order to come up with something that works effeciently whether its wheeled or not, you'll have to consider some of these factors; pressure, drag, friction, external forces, external conditions, gravity, dynamics (if applicable), program, condition of parts, condition of motor, battery power, weight, balance, time of day, lighting, weather, temperature, and, moisture. Ok, some terms bleed into others, but the idea is to think of these as individual factors. Some may or may not apply depending on what the situation is. See how you can factor in these things to make a more efficient and effective robot.
Trials and Challenges (Activities to do in class):
The following is a Power Point Show that allows the user to view the different trials and challenges and teaches how to create some of the "Trial & Challenges" boards for your classroom. There are pictures and PDFs that were linked to this that won't work on this slide show. The pictures are not available on the internet (originals created by author). The PDFs are availble through LEGO. If you have attended the author's workshops, you will be able to ask the author for a copy of this with all links that work on a CD.
These are standard activities done in classroom all around the world. These are also known as "Battery Killers".
Trialschallenges.pps - click here to download and view
Part of the theme is located under "Gates" is on the page titled, "7. What does it do?".
Don't forget:
- Know the problem and have at least three solutions.
- Have an educational guess about your best solution you want to try.
- Always create a building plan (blue print) that shows how it functions (use arrows to show movement).
- Testing your creation, adjusting your program and build, recording results, and doing these things over and over until the results are to your expectations are all part of robotics.
- Do a historical documentation of each step up to solving the problem. Always take pictures and document all results and adjusted solutions.
- Make sure your teacher always views each step as a way to demonstrate your true results. Ask for help, but not the answers.
Design on CAD:
CAD (abbr.) = computer-aided design - from http://www.answers.com
MLCAD is a free Windows CAD application. You will have to download all components including parts. If you have never used a CAD program then you may have to decide whether to pursue this or not. It's kind of like building but on a computer. I can't say that it's easy, but once you get the hang of it, it isn't bad. The good part is that you can snapshot pictures of each step as you build so that you can create a building guide for later.
The reason one would build with CAD first is to see if the model design would work (strictly to see if pieces fit right). This also gives the students the opportunity to keep track of how many of each piece they are using.
Download MLCAD here: click here for Windows
Download LDraw here: click here for Mac
Because
of the amount of time needed to design, depending on how complex your
robot, the use of CAD would not be good for a class that requires time
to build, program, and test under time constraints.
Ask questions, look for ideas, or find troubleshooting tips:
ask Robohi <--- visit "For Educators" and look up topics (posts). There is more than one page of stuff. Make sure you are registered before trying to post something.
Work stops here ... (Review the days work)
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Intermediate building:
Active-Robots.com - This UK site offers instructions for four standard robots offered in the retail version of the NXT. AlphaRex (the humanoid), Spike (the Scorpian), RoboArm (machine), Tribot (vehicle). Download each instruction to build each robot. It will take one week of class every day, at one hour of class to build. It will take another weeks time to program. You are looking at 8 weeks of projects.
NXT robots to download and build
AlphaRex with little programming tips at bottom of each robot page
Spike with little programming tips at bottom of each robot page
RobotArm with little programming tips at bottom of each robot page
Tribot with little programming tips at bottom of each robot page
Questions (Try answering these questions again. Are you answering differently from last time? Why or why not?):
1. What parts should we really memorize?
2. Why are friction and non-friction pins in their different lengths important?
3. Why are bushings of any length important?
4. Why are bricks with studs important?
5. Why are beams without studs (just holes) important?
6. Why are axles and flexible axles important?
7. Why are plates with studs important?
8. What's so important about sensors?
9. What's so important about the programming brick (RCX or NXT)?
10.What's so important about each gear?
Ask questions, look for ideas, or find troubleshooting tips:
ask Robohi <--- visit "For Educators" and look up topics (posts). There is more than one page of stuff. Make sure you are registered before trying to post something.
Work stops here ... (Review the days work)
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Advanced building:
LEGO has building instructions and basic programming for a Clock and Soundbot.
Clock and Soundbot - On the right side under "Download" you'll see two links, one for simple programming and the other is advanced. Be sure to look at those after building each robot. Under that you'll also notice instructions for the Clock as well as for the Soundbot.
Ask questions, look for ideas, or find troubleshooting tips:
ask Robohi <--- visit "For Educators" and look up topics (posts). There is more than one page of stuff. Make sure you are registered before trying to post something.
Work stops here ... (Review the days work)
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