Well Today I found out what my final project for robotics will be. I have to program my robot to go around a slanted table and knock off eight bottles of water. Except for this one special bottle of water that needs to be moved to the center of the table. It's worth 10 extra points if it gets to the center of the table. My robot can't be more than 25 cm long. Or is it 23 cm. Which ever. Also I get extra points if my robot does all of this within 60 seconds.
December 8: I don't even remember getting anything done today. I know that I did... but only in theory. I went out to the table where our obstacle course is and I took some readings on the light sensor to make a threshold, but then I came back and I just didn't feel motivated at all. I just want to sleep!!!
December 9: Greg is pissing me off. He's really funny, and he has some good ideas, but he also isn't very realistic. There's this problem with our robot making it over the pencils in the obstacle course, and so he decided that we just need a bigger front wheel. Whatever, if he has an idea why not run with it? But the modification he did with our robot is ridiculous! Now it can't even make it around the table. I almost forgot to mention that we have perfected the art of sensing the edge of the table... kinda. It only falls off sometimes. We made our arm with the light sensor longer, but when it turns corners sometimes it gets a bit too enthusiastic.
December 12: Today I came in to work on my robot tracking the edge of the table. Everything was correct with my programming. The threshold was right (i spent quite a lot of time taking thresholds) Mr. Hillier added these blocks to my line tracking program that would display the reading of the light sensor while the program was running. We were expecting this to tell us what our threshold was (if, for some reason, the thresholds were different when it was going around the table) but something crazy happened. The blocks that were supposed to give us the information to fix the program ended up fixing the program! It was pretty confusing, but hey, it was working so I didn't spend too much time trying to figure it out.
Also, I got my touch sensor to work. Mr. Hillier showed me a design concept that had the mechanism that would knock the bottles off attached to the thing that bumps the touch sensor. One problem I came across was that the thing that touches the sensor was too heavy, and when my robot was shaking and finding the line it would all of a sudden be bumped because of all the weight. I played around with the design and eventually I added two pieces that will stick out and touch the bottle but not accidentally touch the sensor.
I tried to go on to having my second light sensor sense the bottle wrapped in aluminum, but there's a problem with the threshold of the aluminum bottle and the threshold of the bottles wrapped in colored paper. They're too much alike so Mr. Hillier is going to take the bottles intended to be knocked off the table and wrap them in black.
Oh ya, and my robot stops running when it gets to the square of aluminum. It's pretty good at stopping... and falling off corners. I fixed the problem of not being able to go over the pencils, though. Mr. Hillier attached a motor to the back of my robot and that kinda helped but I attached another one on top of that (genius, if I do say so myself) and now there's no problem of it getting stuck... sometimes.
HAPPY DAY! It's been nearly three hours. So much has been accomplished and I can't wait for class tomorrow so I can keep improving my program.
December 13: Today was pretty cool. The robot was just going around, so cool stuff. I think the final will be pretty easy
December 15: When I got to study hall today Greg had put together a program that senses the aluminum bottle and knocks it to the left. We tried putting it in the sequence with everything else but now it doesn't work!
December 16: So today is the final exam. I thought it would be a really easy day since Sunday the robot was practically perfect. But now we're having problems up the yin-yang. Our robot won't make it past the final turn, and it knocks the aluminum bottle to the right. Eventually I just gave up on trying to get the aluminum bottle in the middle, we still passed.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Find the Line Challenge Assignment #7
12/10/10
The goal of this challenge was to navigate through pipes and find a strip of black tape using a touch sensor, ultrasonic sensor, and a light sensor.
I'm planning on having the ultrasonic sensor sense the pipes and the walls because if I can sense the objects while I'm far away then I don't have to worry about backing up to get to an area where I can keep searching for the black tape. I'll use the light sensor to find the tape, and then when it finds the tape I'll just have the robot stop and then I'll win! The touch sensor I'll use if i get close to the pipe and I'm next to the pipe. Like if my ultrasonic sensor can't sense it but I still might bump into it.
My robot bumped around and used it's touch sensor to back up and turn when it bumped into the pipe or wall. My robot used used ultrasonic sensor to sense when it was approaching an obstacle and it used the light sensor to find the black.
The only problems were the little black peggy things that stick out the sides of my touch sensor. They would grab the pipes sometimes when they would back up. It was a pain in the butt. Also my robot would get stuck against the bins (aka the wall) in a way so that it wouldn't touch anything but it also couldn't ultrasonically sense what it was doing. Speaking of ultrasonic.... such a poop head. It took me a greater chunk of the class period to situate it on top of my robot so that it could sense the pipe. It was looking too high and it wouldn't sense anything, but then it was looking too low, and it was sensing every frikin thing! I got it eventually, but Greg helped me. Too heads are better than one, right? Mr. Hillier didn't say team work wasn't allowed.
I was successful in the end. Two class periods of work for a lousy twenty seconds of actually running my successful program. I tried having my ultrasonic sensor low, like three inches above the ground, but it was more successful to have the ultrasonic sensor on the top of the robot. I tried having long black peg things sticking out the side of my touch sensor vs. having shorter pegs. When I ran my program and it was successful I had the short pegs... not sure what conclusion I come to about this; but whatever works works, ya?
In the end I had an ultrasonic sensor and a touch sensor running in a loop. When the light sensor sensed the black strip then everything was over! The ultrasonic sensor would back up and turn to the left when it came within a certain distance (i've forgotten the actually distance) of something. My touch sensor would stop, back up, and turn to the right when it was pressed.
I used the ultrasonic sensor, touch sensor, and light sensor. Why? Well, goodness. Haven't I explained it enough?
The goal of this challenge was to navigate through pipes and find a strip of black tape using a touch sensor, ultrasonic sensor, and a light sensor.
I'm planning on having the ultrasonic sensor sense the pipes and the walls because if I can sense the objects while I'm far away then I don't have to worry about backing up to get to an area where I can keep searching for the black tape. I'll use the light sensor to find the tape, and then when it finds the tape I'll just have the robot stop and then I'll win! The touch sensor I'll use if i get close to the pipe and I'm next to the pipe. Like if my ultrasonic sensor can't sense it but I still might bump into it.
My robot bumped around and used it's touch sensor to back up and turn when it bumped into the pipe or wall. My robot used used ultrasonic sensor to sense when it was approaching an obstacle and it used the light sensor to find the black.
The only problems were the little black peggy things that stick out the sides of my touch sensor. They would grab the pipes sometimes when they would back up. It was a pain in the butt. Also my robot would get stuck against the bins (aka the wall) in a way so that it wouldn't touch anything but it also couldn't ultrasonically sense what it was doing. Speaking of ultrasonic.... such a poop head. It took me a greater chunk of the class period to situate it on top of my robot so that it could sense the pipe. It was looking too high and it wouldn't sense anything, but then it was looking too low, and it was sensing every frikin thing! I got it eventually, but Greg helped me. Too heads are better than one, right? Mr. Hillier didn't say team work wasn't allowed.
I was successful in the end. Two class periods of work for a lousy twenty seconds of actually running my successful program. I tried having my ultrasonic sensor low, like three inches above the ground, but it was more successful to have the ultrasonic sensor on the top of the robot. I tried having long black peg things sticking out the side of my touch sensor vs. having shorter pegs. When I ran my program and it was successful I had the short pegs... not sure what conclusion I come to about this; but whatever works works, ya?
In the end I had an ultrasonic sensor and a touch sensor running in a loop. When the light sensor sensed the black strip then everything was over! The ultrasonic sensor would back up and turn to the left when it came within a certain distance (i've forgotten the actually distance) of something. My touch sensor would stop, back up, and turn to the right when it was pressed.
I used the ultrasonic sensor, touch sensor, and light sensor. Why? Well, goodness. Haven't I explained it enough?
Monday, November 1, 2010
Gears Activity Part 1 Assignment #6
1. Did the robot appear to move faster than it had when the motor were set at 75% power?
- Um, yes. With my new gears I have twice as much power. Even if my program has my robot running at 75 percent power I am still going at a faster speed.
2. Why did increasing motor power make the robot go faster?
- Increasing motor power made my wheels spin faster.
3. Do you think the robot's speed will increase if you change the gears? Why or why not?
- If I change the gears so the gear attached to the motor is big and the gear attached to the wheel is small, yes, because I will move more of a distance with the same amount of rotation from the driving gear.
4. Did you robot move faster than it did with the old gears and 100% power? How did you determine this?
- No. The new gears for sures made my robot move faster, even at 51% power. I determined this with my brain. The new gears make my robot go twice as fast, so I take my motor speed and times it by 2 and that new number is how fast it is going. So 2 • 51 = 102. Oh snap.
5. How fast did your robot go this time, compared to the other runs?
-It went pretty darn tootin fast.
6. List two ways to make the robot go faster.
- 1) add bigger wheels.
- 2) change the gears.
7. List two ways to make the robot go slower.
- Make the driving gear the small gear and make the driven gear the big gear.
8. When you want the robot to go faster by changing its gears, do you put the larger gear on the wheel or on the motor?
- On the wheel.
9. Think about exactly why the robot goes faster or slower when you change the gears. Your robot starts with these gears:
a. Compared to the original, would the robot go faster, slower or the same speed with these gears?
-
b.
-
c.
-
d.
-
- Um, yes. With my new gears I have twice as much power. Even if my program has my robot running at 75 percent power I am still going at a faster speed.
2. Why did increasing motor power make the robot go faster?
- Increasing motor power made my wheels spin faster.
3. Do you think the robot's speed will increase if you change the gears? Why or why not?
- If I change the gears so the gear attached to the motor is big and the gear attached to the wheel is small, yes, because I will move more of a distance with the same amount of rotation from the driving gear.
4. Did you robot move faster than it did with the old gears and 100% power? How did you determine this?
- No. The new gears for sures made my robot move faster, even at 51% power. I determined this with my brain. The new gears make my robot go twice as fast, so I take my motor speed and times it by 2 and that new number is how fast it is going. So 2 • 51 = 102. Oh snap.
5. How fast did your robot go this time, compared to the other runs?
-It went pretty darn tootin fast.
6. List two ways to make the robot go faster.
- 1) add bigger wheels.
- 2) change the gears.
7. List two ways to make the robot go slower.
- Make the driving gear the small gear and make the driven gear the big gear.
8. When you want the robot to go faster by changing its gears, do you put the larger gear on the wheel or on the motor?
- On the wheel.
9. Think about exactly why the robot goes faster or slower when you change the gears. Your robot starts with these gears:
a. Compared to the original, would the robot go faster, slower or the same speed with these gears?
-
b.
-
c.
-
d.
-
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Obstacles Assignment #5
1. What did the robot do?
- It moved around the table and when it bumped objects it would backup a little bit and then turn and keep going.
2. What caused the robot to stop?
- it was programmed to stop when it touched something.
3. Do you think it’s a good idea for the robot to run into obstacles and stop?
- No, because the object could fall on the robot. The robot should move out of the way.
4. What are the benefits and drawbacks of this behavior?
- The benefit of using a touch sensor is that you will definitely know where the object is, but a drawback is that you could end up knocking the objet over or moving it.
5. What did the robot do?
- The robot moved around the table and stayed about 50 cm away from the walls and the objects.
6. What caused the robot to stop?
- The robot would stop when it got too close to an object.
7. How far away from the obstacle did the robot stop?
- 50 cm.
8. What are the benefits and drawbacks of this behavior?
- The benefit of using an ultrasonic sensor is you don't have to touch the object, but a drawback is that you don't know for sure if that's how far away the object is.
9. How reliable is this sensor as opposed to the touch sensor?
- It's not. The ultrasonic sensor could be a bit off and then you think something is far off when really it's rapidly approaching and then it hits your robot and kills it!
Well, the ultrasonic sensor could be better than the touch sensor because you don't affect the object, it doesn't touch, it just senses it. Like a ninja.
10. Think about the Construct Phase that you just completed and compare using the touch and ultrasonic sensors.
a. What is the main difference between the two programs?
- The touch sensor has to be right by an object while the ultrasonic sensor can be programmed to be any amount of distance away.
So I guess the difference is the distance the objects can be from the robot before the robot senses it.
b. What is the main difference in the robot’s behavior when you use each of the different sensors?
- The main difference is the time it took the robot to figure out it couldn't go in a certain direction. Using the touch sensor the robot would go until it hit the wall, but when using the ultrasonic sensor the robot was able to see that the wall was close and it changed its course.
11. The ultrasonic sensor allows you to stop before you reach an object, rather than after you’ve run into it. What are the benefits and drawbacks of this behavior?
12. The touch sensor only has two settings, pressed and not pressed. The ultrasonic sensor, on the other hand, can sense any distance between 0 and 200 centimeters.
a. Why do you need to set a threshold level for the ultrasonic sensor, but not for the touch sensor?
- Because for the ultrasonic sensor there are different distances, but with the touch sensor there is only pressed and not pressed.
b. What happens to the robot’s behavior as you change that threshold level for the ultrasonic sensor?
- If i make the threshold higher, it stays farther away from objects. And when I lower the threshold the robot gets closer to objects before it stops.
13.
a. List three reasons why you would want to use a touch sensor on a real world robot to detect obstacles.
1.) A touch sensor would be more preferable to some people because it's easier to hit something and make sure that it worked instead of waving your hand in front of an ultrasonic sensor.
2.) It would be more battery efficient than an ultrasonic sensor because it wouldn't sense when something went by it. It would have to be touched, and that would save battery life.
3.) There could be different reactions depending on if the sensor was pressed or bumped or released.
b. What kind of robots could use touch sensors in this way? Describe at least two.
- a robot kitten. I had one when I was little.
- a sink. The water dispenser on the kitchen sink. You could just touch it instead of having to lift or twist the knobs.
c. Describe at least one situation where a touch sensor could NOT be acceptably used as an obstacle detector.
- A touch sensor wouldn't work in an race because it would take too long to bump in to something and then get back on track. It would be easier to sense something with the ultrasonic sensor.
14.
a. List three reasons why you would want to use an ultrasonic sensor on a real world robot to detect obstacles.
1.) The robot wouldn't have to touch anything with the ultrasonic sensor.
2.) The robot could actually tell you how far away something is.
3.) A blind person could use an ultrasonic sensor and have a better understanding of their surroundings.
b. Does the ultrasonic sensor provide reliable detection for every type of possible obstacle.
- No. If the obstacle is slanted toward your robot, and the ultrasonic sensor picks up the bottom, the farthest part, you could end up bumping your robots head.
c. Describe at least one situation where an ultrasonic rangefinder could be acceptably used as an obstacle detector.
- If you are trying to find something but you can't physically see it. Like if you are in a boat trying to find a man eating shark beneath you in the dark abyss.
d. Describe at least one situation where an ultrasonic rangefinder cannot be acceptably used as an obstacle detector.
- If you are looking for something too small to be detected.
15. What other kinds of sensors could be used to detect obstacles, and how would you use them?
- Another sensor is a sound sensor. It detects sounds and can be programmed to speed up or slow down depending on the noise level.
16. What does the sensor show when it has difficulty detecting anything?
- ???
17. Does the shape or curvature of an object make a difference?
-Yes, depending on what area gets touched, it could be more of a distance or less of a distance away from the actual bulk of the object.
18. Does the sensor detect soft or hard objects better? Why do you think this is?
- I think the touch sensor detects hard objects better, because there's less time to squish, I guess.
19. What is the smallest object detected?
- In class? A pencil.
20. Does the sensor detect thin objects well?
- No, it won't detect it accurately if it's moving.
21. Turn the sensor 90 degrees on its side so it is positioned “upright.” Does it detect?
- Not as well as when it's the way it's supposed to be.
- It moved around the table and when it bumped objects it would backup a little bit and then turn and keep going.
2. What caused the robot to stop?
- it was programmed to stop when it touched something.
3. Do you think it’s a good idea for the robot to run into obstacles and stop?
- No, because the object could fall on the robot. The robot should move out of the way.
4. What are the benefits and drawbacks of this behavior?
- The benefit of using a touch sensor is that you will definitely know where the object is, but a drawback is that you could end up knocking the objet over or moving it.
5. What did the robot do?
- The robot moved around the table and stayed about 50 cm away from the walls and the objects.
6. What caused the robot to stop?
- The robot would stop when it got too close to an object.
7. How far away from the obstacle did the robot stop?
- 50 cm.
8. What are the benefits and drawbacks of this behavior?
- The benefit of using an ultrasonic sensor is you don't have to touch the object, but a drawback is that you don't know for sure if that's how far away the object is.
9. How reliable is this sensor as opposed to the touch sensor?
- It's not. The ultrasonic sensor could be a bit off and then you think something is far off when really it's rapidly approaching and then it hits your robot and kills it!
Well, the ultrasonic sensor could be better than the touch sensor because you don't affect the object, it doesn't touch, it just senses it. Like a ninja.
10. Think about the Construct Phase that you just completed and compare using the touch and ultrasonic sensors.
a. What is the main difference between the two programs?
- The touch sensor has to be right by an object while the ultrasonic sensor can be programmed to be any amount of distance away.
So I guess the difference is the distance the objects can be from the robot before the robot senses it.
b. What is the main difference in the robot’s behavior when you use each of the different sensors?
- The main difference is the time it took the robot to figure out it couldn't go in a certain direction. Using the touch sensor the robot would go until it hit the wall, but when using the ultrasonic sensor the robot was able to see that the wall was close and it changed its course.
11. The ultrasonic sensor allows you to stop before you reach an object, rather than after you’ve run into it. What are the benefits and drawbacks of this behavior?
12. The touch sensor only has two settings, pressed and not pressed. The ultrasonic sensor, on the other hand, can sense any distance between 0 and 200 centimeters.
a. Why do you need to set a threshold level for the ultrasonic sensor, but not for the touch sensor?
- Because for the ultrasonic sensor there are different distances, but with the touch sensor there is only pressed and not pressed.
b. What happens to the robot’s behavior as you change that threshold level for the ultrasonic sensor?
- If i make the threshold higher, it stays farther away from objects. And when I lower the threshold the robot gets closer to objects before it stops.
13.
a. List three reasons why you would want to use a touch sensor on a real world robot to detect obstacles.
1.) A touch sensor would be more preferable to some people because it's easier to hit something and make sure that it worked instead of waving your hand in front of an ultrasonic sensor.
2.) It would be more battery efficient than an ultrasonic sensor because it wouldn't sense when something went by it. It would have to be touched, and that would save battery life.
3.) There could be different reactions depending on if the sensor was pressed or bumped or released.
b. What kind of robots could use touch sensors in this way? Describe at least two.
- a robot kitten. I had one when I was little.
- a sink. The water dispenser on the kitchen sink. You could just touch it instead of having to lift or twist the knobs.
c. Describe at least one situation where a touch sensor could NOT be acceptably used as an obstacle detector.
- A touch sensor wouldn't work in an race because it would take too long to bump in to something and then get back on track. It would be easier to sense something with the ultrasonic sensor.
14.
a. List three reasons why you would want to use an ultrasonic sensor on a real world robot to detect obstacles.
1.) The robot wouldn't have to touch anything with the ultrasonic sensor.
2.) The robot could actually tell you how far away something is.
3.) A blind person could use an ultrasonic sensor and have a better understanding of their surroundings.
b. Does the ultrasonic sensor provide reliable detection for every type of possible obstacle.
- No. If the obstacle is slanted toward your robot, and the ultrasonic sensor picks up the bottom, the farthest part, you could end up bumping your robots head.
c. Describe at least one situation where an ultrasonic rangefinder could be acceptably used as an obstacle detector.
- If you are trying to find something but you can't physically see it. Like if you are in a boat trying to find a man eating shark beneath you in the dark abyss.
d. Describe at least one situation where an ultrasonic rangefinder cannot be acceptably used as an obstacle detector.
- If you are looking for something too small to be detected.
15. What other kinds of sensors could be used to detect obstacles, and how would you use them?
- Another sensor is a sound sensor. It detects sounds and can be programmed to speed up or slow down depending on the noise level.
16. What does the sensor show when it has difficulty detecting anything?
- ???
17. Does the shape or curvature of an object make a difference?
-Yes, depending on what area gets touched, it could be more of a distance or less of a distance away from the actual bulk of the object.
18. Does the sensor detect soft or hard objects better? Why do you think this is?
- I think the touch sensor detects hard objects better, because there's less time to squish, I guess.
19. What is the smallest object detected?
- In class? A pencil.
20. Does the sensor detect thin objects well?
- No, it won't detect it accurately if it's moving.
21. Turn the sensor 90 degrees on its side so it is positioned “upright.” Does it detect?
- Not as well as when it's the way it's supposed to be.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Follow That Line Part 2
1. What happened when you tried to increase the speed with the original light sensor positioning?
-The sensor worked just fine with the original position.
2. What is the reason the robot starts looping around instead of tracking the line when it tries to go too fast?
- The robot is going too fast to sense the line, so it's solution is to go in a circle, like it's programmed, until it can sense the line that it's looking for.
3. Suggest one possible way to fix the “overshooting” problem at high speeds.
-One way to fix this problem is to lower the sensor so it can have a better chance of sensing the line.
4. Where are the two turning centers located?
-The two turning centers are the wheels and the center of the robot. The wheels are located on the sides of the robot, and the center of the robot is located on Mars.
5. Why does the robot have to track in reverse after the changes?
- The light sensor needs to be in front of the robot. That is, when the robot is traveling the light sensor needs to be ahead of the rest of the robot.
6. Explain why high-speed line tracking works better with the revised configuration than the original configuration.
- When the robot is going at high-speed, the light sensor can not sense the line if it is in the back. The sensor needs to be in the front (front being in between the two big wheels) because at high speed the smaller wheels does a lot of shaking and the sensor wouldn't be able to read the line with being moved around so much.
7. Compare the performance of the old and new line trackers.
a. Build a line for the robot to track on a flat surface.
b. With the light sensor on the front of the robot and the robot moving forward, find the highest motor power that will allow the robot to successfully track the entire line. Time how long it takes (in seconds) for the robot to track the line.
c. Now switch the sensor to the back of the robot and find the highest motor power that will allow it to track the entire line backward. Measure how long it takes to track with this configuration.
c. Express the new robot’s line tracking speed as a percentage of the original (front-facing) robot’s line tracking speed. Use the formula in figure 1.
8. Identify the two main behaviors in the revised program (the two inside the switch block).
-Two main behaviors are a swing turn and the ability to sense the line.
9. Ordinarily, it’s pretty clear which side of the robot is its left, and which is its right. However, things might not be so clear when the robot is traveling backwards. Explain why, and propose a convention (a set of rules that everyone will use) for describing “left” and “right” when talking about a robot that will be line tracking part of the time, but moving normally the rest of the time.
- The NXT brick, when I'm looking at it and I can see all the buttons and the screen, that is the front. Port B is connected to the right wheel, and I can see the cord that connects it, and it is on the right side of the robot. If everyone just goes by what wheel is the right wheel and which way the brick's screen is facing there would be less confusion in the world. However, when the robot is moving that's when the front and the back get confusing.
-The sensor worked just fine with the original position.
2. What is the reason the robot starts looping around instead of tracking the line when it tries to go too fast?
- The robot is going too fast to sense the line, so it's solution is to go in a circle, like it's programmed, until it can sense the line that it's looking for.
3. Suggest one possible way to fix the “overshooting” problem at high speeds.
-One way to fix this problem is to lower the sensor so it can have a better chance of sensing the line.
4. Where are the two turning centers located?
-The two turning centers are the wheels and the center of the robot. The wheels are located on the sides of the robot, and the center of the robot is located on Mars.
5. Why does the robot have to track in reverse after the changes?
- The light sensor needs to be in front of the robot. That is, when the robot is traveling the light sensor needs to be ahead of the rest of the robot.
6. Explain why high-speed line tracking works better with the revised configuration than the original configuration.
- When the robot is going at high-speed, the light sensor can not sense the line if it is in the back. The sensor needs to be in the front (front being in between the two big wheels) because at high speed the smaller wheels does a lot of shaking and the sensor wouldn't be able to read the line with being moved around so much.
7. Compare the performance of the old and new line trackers.
a. Build a line for the robot to track on a flat surface.
b. With the light sensor on the front of the robot and the robot moving forward, find the highest motor power that will allow the robot to successfully track the entire line. Time how long it takes (in seconds) for the robot to track the line.
c. Now switch the sensor to the back of the robot and find the highest motor power that will allow it to track the entire line backward. Measure how long it takes to track with this configuration.
c. Express the new robot’s line tracking speed as a percentage of the original (front-facing) robot’s line tracking speed. Use the formula in figure 1.
8. Identify the two main behaviors in the revised program (the two inside the switch block).
-Two main behaviors are a swing turn and the ability to sense the line.
9. Ordinarily, it’s pretty clear which side of the robot is its left, and which is its right. However, things might not be so clear when the robot is traveling backwards. Explain why, and propose a convention (a set of rules that everyone will use) for describing “left” and “right” when talking about a robot that will be line tracking part of the time, but moving normally the rest of the time.
- The NXT brick, when I'm looking at it and I can see all the buttons and the screen, that is the front. Port B is connected to the right wheel, and I can see the cord that connects it, and it is on the right side of the robot. If everyone just goes by what wheel is the right wheel and which way the brick's screen is facing there would be less confusion in the world. However, when the robot is moving that's when the front and the back get confusing.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Follow That Line Assignment #4
1. What is the robot looking for?
-The robot is looking for dark and light. It will react differently
to both of them and that is how it keeps itself on the black tape.
2. Which way should it go when it sees light? Why?
-It should go right when it sees light because it is riding the left
side of the tape, and when it sees light that means that it needs to
find dark.
3. Which way should it go when it sees dark? Why?
- It should go left when it sees dark, because that is the direction
it needs to go in order to see light again.
4. My threshold value was > 40
5. Classify each of the following light sensor values as “light” or
“dark,” using the threshold value you calculated for your light
sensor.
34 :dark
78 :light
51 :light
40 :dark
6. Using your own calculated threshold, describe the motion that the
robot will make when the light sensor reads:
i. 27 : turn left until it reads light
ii. 38 : turn right until it reads dark
iii. 91 : turn right until it reads dark
iv. 45 : turn right until it reads dark
7. The line tracking behavior is built by organizing several smaller
behaviors to run at certain times. Identify two of these smaller
behaviors, and explain what they do in the program and when they are
used.
-One of the behaviors that helps run this program is a swing-turn.
When the robot all of a sudden sees light, it does an eensie-weenise
swing-turn and then when it sees dark it does another small
swing-turn.
-Another behavior is the loop. It keep my robot going back and forth
between seeing light and dark.
8. Dorothy writes this line following program one afternoon, tests it,
and finds that it tracks a line well. However, when she comes back the
next morning, it doesn’t work! She places her robot on the line and
runs the program, but to her surprise, the robot only swing-turns to
the right in a circle the whole time.
Explain what the cause of this problem is, your reasoning for why this
is the case, and what needs to be done to fix it.
- This Dorothy isn't very smart. She should know to test her
threshold every time she comes back to class and runs her robot again. See, one day she could have
a threshold of > 47, and that works well enough because for some
reason the light just falls that way on the wood table. The next day,
however, if Dorothy doesn't reset her threshold the light could be
just a bit dimmer, and so her threshold won't catch anything greater
than 47. To solve this conundrum she should just find the program on her super cool robot that measures the reflected light, and then find the threshold for dark and
the threshold for light and average the two.
9. Imagine that instead of dark tape on a light surface, your classroom
has dark surfaces with light tape on them.
a.Would the robot be able to follow the line using your same program?
-I don't think so. Hmmm, well my robot is programmed to look for
light and then go right, so if it found light and went right, well,
ya! I guess it would actually work because when it found the light it
would go right and then it would find dark and go left. So, yes. It
would work to have a dark surface with light tape.
b.Would it behave exactly the same, or slightly differently? Explain.
10. Now think about the physical placement of your light sensor on the robot.
a. Is the placement of the light sensor important?
- Yes, the placement of my light sensor is important. I don't really know why it makes the program runs more smoothly, but having the light sensor in the front is better than having it in the back. Wait, I learned this today. If the light sensor is over the little wheel it is harder to pick up a reading of light or dark because the little wheel is shaking all over the place like crazy. It's better to have the sensor in between the two big wheels, where it is stable, and easier to get a reading.
b. What happens if you raise or lower the light sensor?
- If the light sensor is raised then the robot will throw a bigger area of light and I will have to change my threshold.
c. What happens if you place it in the rear of the robot instead of the
front, but don’t change your program?
- I have my robot programmed to go right when it sees light, and if goes right when it sees light (with the sensor on the back) then it will just keep seeing light because with the sensor on the back, when the robot turns right, the sensor goes left.
11. Why does this behavior track the right side of the line instead of the left?
- The new program says to go left when it sees light, and go right when it sees dark. So pretty much it's just a backward version of the parent program.
12. When might this behavior be useful?
- If my robot is in a situation where tracking the left side of the line is impossible (like finding survivors in a collapsed building, and the left side of a black line is on fire!) It is more serviceable to track the right side of the line, and rescue the poor survivors of that collapsed building.
-The robot is looking for dark and light. It will react differently
to both of them and that is how it keeps itself on the black tape.
2. Which way should it go when it sees light? Why?
-It should go right when it sees light because it is riding the left
side of the tape, and when it sees light that means that it needs to
find dark.
3. Which way should it go when it sees dark? Why?
- It should go left when it sees dark, because that is the direction
it needs to go in order to see light again.
4. My threshold value was > 40
5. Classify each of the following light sensor values as “light” or
“dark,” using the threshold value you calculated for your light
sensor.
34 :dark
78 :light
51 :light
40 :dark
6. Using your own calculated threshold, describe the motion that the
robot will make when the light sensor reads:
i. 27 : turn left until it reads light
ii. 38 : turn right until it reads dark
iii. 91 : turn right until it reads dark
iv. 45 : turn right until it reads dark
7. The line tracking behavior is built by organizing several smaller
behaviors to run at certain times. Identify two of these smaller
behaviors, and explain what they do in the program and when they are
used.
-One of the behaviors that helps run this program is a swing-turn.
When the robot all of a sudden sees light, it does an eensie-weenise
swing-turn and then when it sees dark it does another small
swing-turn.
-Another behavior is the loop. It keep my robot going back and forth
between seeing light and dark.
8. Dorothy writes this line following program one afternoon, tests it,
and finds that it tracks a line well. However, when she comes back the
next morning, it doesn’t work! She places her robot on the line and
runs the program, but to her surprise, the robot only swing-turns to
the right in a circle the whole time.
Explain what the cause of this problem is, your reasoning for why this
is the case, and what needs to be done to fix it.
- This Dorothy isn't very smart. She should know to test her
threshold every time she comes back to class and runs her robot again. See, one day she could have
a threshold of > 47, and that works well enough because for some
reason the light just falls that way on the wood table. The next day,
however, if Dorothy doesn't reset her threshold the light could be
just a bit dimmer, and so her threshold won't catch anything greater
than 47. To solve this conundrum she should just find the program on her super cool robot that measures the reflected light, and then find the threshold for dark and
the threshold for light and average the two.
9. Imagine that instead of dark tape on a light surface, your classroom
has dark surfaces with light tape on them.
a.Would the robot be able to follow the line using your same program?
-I don't think so. Hmmm, well my robot is programmed to look for
light and then go right, so if it found light and went right, well,
ya! I guess it would actually work because when it found the light it
would go right and then it would find dark and go left. So, yes. It
would work to have a dark surface with light tape.
b.Would it behave exactly the same, or slightly differently? Explain.
10. Now think about the physical placement of your light sensor on the robot.
a. Is the placement of the light sensor important?
- Yes, the placement of my light sensor is important. I don't really know why it makes the program runs more smoothly, but having the light sensor in the front is better than having it in the back. Wait, I learned this today. If the light sensor is over the little wheel it is harder to pick up a reading of light or dark because the little wheel is shaking all over the place like crazy. It's better to have the sensor in between the two big wheels, where it is stable, and easier to get a reading.
b. What happens if you raise or lower the light sensor?
- If the light sensor is raised then the robot will throw a bigger area of light and I will have to change my threshold.
c. What happens if you place it in the rear of the robot instead of the
front, but don’t change your program?
- I have my robot programmed to go right when it sees light, and if goes right when it sees light (with the sensor on the back) then it will just keep seeing light because with the sensor on the back, when the robot turns right, the sensor goes left.
11. Why does this behavior track the right side of the line instead of the left?
- The new program says to go left when it sees light, and go right when it sees dark. So pretty much it's just a backward version of the parent program.
12. When might this behavior be useful?
- If my robot is in a situation where tracking the left side of the line is impossible (like finding survivors in a collapsed building, and the left side of a black line is on fire!) It is more serviceable to track the right side of the line, and rescue the poor survivors of that collapsed building.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Clap-on Clap-off Assignment #3
1. Record the sound value for "quiet".
- 4%
2. Record the sound value for "loud".
- 70%
3. Record the threshold value you calculated.
- 60%
4. Write a brief description of what each block in your program does.
- The first block is the sound sensor. It recognizes the sound threshold that I programed and
- The second block is a sound sensor also. It recognizes a lower threshold than the first one.
- The third block is a motor block. It runs Port B, the right wheel.
- The fourth block is another motor block that runs Port C, the left wheel.
-The fifth block is a sound sensor block.
-The sixth block is another sound sensor.
- The seventh block is a motor block that makes Port B brake.
- The eighth block is another motor block that makes Port C brake.
5. Define the "Wait for Clap" behavior you built in the program
- The "Wait for Clap" just means that my robot has to "wait for" a "clap"before it begins doing what I programed. Clever how people name these blocks, eh?
6. What does the threshold for the sound sensor do? What would happen if you set the threshold higher? Lower?
- The threshold is like an invisible line on a hypothetical floor. If the line is crossed, it produces a result, but when things are safely staying away from the line, my robot stays immobile. If I set my threshold higher it would require more nose to trigger a response from my robot.
7. Why did you use a value from the sound sensor that was halfway between silence and clapping for your threshold value?
- I need to program my robot's sound threshold to be above the sound of silence, other wise it would go off too easily and too early. However, I had to program it a bit below my clap so that I could be sure it would respond.
8. Does your robot only respond to claps, or do other sounds trigger starting and stopping as well? Why do you think this is?
- My robot responded to other stuff, too. That's because it was only programmed to recognize a sound level, not a specific sound.
9. Mrs. Wood would like to use a robot as an actor in a class play. She wants the robot to start running across the stage on cue. The cue will be the sound of a door slamming as another (human) actor goes offstage.
a. How should she go about programming her robot to recognize the correct sound and begin its performance at the right time?
- Assuming the door slamming is the loudest part of the scene, she should program the robot to activate when the sound threshold is passed.
b. What possible problems might there be with this plan?
- Drama students can be very... dramatic. Things could get out of control and the sound threshold could be passed before it is supposed to be.
10. Someone has come up with an idea to keep order in the LLSC by turning off the lights whenever the room gets too noisy. They have a thought that a robot may be able to help them out. Explain briefly how a sound sensor-equipped robot might be able to simplify or automate this task.
- Well, first of all this is an awful idea. Have you seen what happens to classrooms when the power goes out? It's pretty much counterproductive to turn light off in a room full of loud teenagers. But if someone really thought this would help... they should take note of the noise level of "too loud" and then see the noise level of "loud, but alright". Somewhere in between "too loud" and "okay" should be the threshold where, if the noise level of "okay" is passed, the lights go out. A sound sensor should be placed somewhere in the student center to sense when the threshold is passed. When the threshold is passed and the noise becomes too loud, the lights will be triggered to go off.
11. How did the loop change the robot's behavior?
- Instead of having to press the orange button to run the program, the loop will keep the robot going on when I clap and off when I clap again.
12. How many times will the loop run?
- The loop will keep the robot going until the batteries die or class ends.
- 4%
2. Record the sound value for "loud".
- 70%
3. Record the threshold value you calculated.
- 60%
4. Write a brief description of what each block in your program does.
- The first block is the sound sensor. It recognizes the sound threshold that I programed and
- The second block is a sound sensor also. It recognizes a lower threshold than the first one.
- The third block is a motor block. It runs Port B, the right wheel.
- The fourth block is another motor block that runs Port C, the left wheel.
-The fifth block is a sound sensor block.
-The sixth block is another sound sensor.
- The seventh block is a motor block that makes Port B brake.
- The eighth block is another motor block that makes Port C brake.
5. Define the "Wait for Clap" behavior you built in the program
- The "Wait for Clap" just means that my robot has to "wait for" a "clap"before it begins doing what I programed. Clever how people name these blocks, eh?
6. What does the threshold for the sound sensor do? What would happen if you set the threshold higher? Lower?
- The threshold is like an invisible line on a hypothetical floor. If the line is crossed, it produces a result, but when things are safely staying away from the line, my robot stays immobile. If I set my threshold higher it would require more nose to trigger a response from my robot.
7. Why did you use a value from the sound sensor that was halfway between silence and clapping for your threshold value?
- I need to program my robot's sound threshold to be above the sound of silence, other wise it would go off too easily and too early. However, I had to program it a bit below my clap so that I could be sure it would respond.
8. Does your robot only respond to claps, or do other sounds trigger starting and stopping as well? Why do you think this is?
- My robot responded to other stuff, too. That's because it was only programmed to recognize a sound level, not a specific sound.
9. Mrs. Wood would like to use a robot as an actor in a class play. She wants the robot to start running across the stage on cue. The cue will be the sound of a door slamming as another (human) actor goes offstage.
a. How should she go about programming her robot to recognize the correct sound and begin its performance at the right time?
- Assuming the door slamming is the loudest part of the scene, she should program the robot to activate when the sound threshold is passed.
b. What possible problems might there be with this plan?
- Drama students can be very... dramatic. Things could get out of control and the sound threshold could be passed before it is supposed to be.
10. Someone has come up with an idea to keep order in the LLSC by turning off the lights whenever the room gets too noisy. They have a thought that a robot may be able to help them out. Explain briefly how a sound sensor-equipped robot might be able to simplify or automate this task.
- Well, first of all this is an awful idea. Have you seen what happens to classrooms when the power goes out? It's pretty much counterproductive to turn light off in a room full of loud teenagers. But if someone really thought this would help... they should take note of the noise level of "too loud" and then see the noise level of "loud, but alright". Somewhere in between "too loud" and "okay" should be the threshold where, if the noise level of "okay" is passed, the lights go out. A sound sensor should be placed somewhere in the student center to sense when the threshold is passed. When the threshold is passed and the noise becomes too loud, the lights will be triggered to go off.
11. How did the loop change the robot's behavior?
- Instead of having to press the orange button to run the program, the loop will keep the robot going on when I clap and off when I clap again.
12. How many times will the loop run?
- The loop will keep the robot going until the batteries die or class ends.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Right Face Activity Lab #2
1. What happened when you ran the program?
-The robot make a º270 right turn.
2. Which motor(s) spun?
-Only motor C spun.
3. What direction did each motor spin?
-Motor B didn't spin. Motor C spun right, or forward.
4. Did the robot's body turn to its left or its right?
- To the right.
5. About how much did the robot's body turn, relative to a full turn?
- 3/4 of a turn.
6. This behavior is called a "swing" turn. Around what point does the robot swing?
- The robot swings around the right wheel.
7. Write a brief one or two sentence description of what each icon in the program "Swing Turn" does.
- First block: move block. It makes the left wheel (port C) spin forward.
- Second block: move block. It is programed to make the right wheel (port B) brake, allowing the stay completely still.
- Third block: wait block. This block lets the robot only complete 2 wheel rotations.
- Fourth block: move block programmed to make right wheel (port C) brake.
- Fifth block: move block. The move blocks is programmed to make the right wheel (port B) brake.
8. The robot started at position A on the diagram shown here. It then turned in place until it reached position B.
a. Can you tell which direction it turned to get to this position? Explain why or why not.
- No, I can't tell which what it turned. It could be turning left or right.
b. Suppose the robot turn to its left to reach position B. What fraction of a full turn did it make to get from A to B?
- 1 3/4
c. Suppose the robot turned to its right to reach position B. What fraction of a full turn did it make to get from A to B?
- 1/4 turn
9. Consider the effects of some additional factors.
a. How do you think different wheels will affect the robot's ability to turn? Does it matter?
- Different size wheels would call for a different amount of rotations if I wanted my robot to go the same distance.
b. Does the surface on which the robot is turning matter?
- Yes, it could slip or get stuck on paper. My robot could stick to carpet more than it would stick to wood floors.
10. The robot in the given program turned right by moving its left wheel forward while holding its right wheel stationary.
a. Could you also turn right by holding the left wheel stationary and running the right wheel in reverse?
- Maybe.... its sounds logically possible.
11. What program blocks are different between the let turn and original right turn behaviors?
- No blocks are different, but the direction of the first motor blocks are different. The wait block is programmed to recognize a different direction.
12. Could a left turn also be done with the backward-moving wheel idea from question 10? program your robot to make the backward-left turn.
- sure
13. Describe the difference between the morion of a swing turn and a point turn.
- The Swing Turn is a pretty literal description. It sort of "swings" on its right wheel. So if there was a line drawn on a surface, the robot would still be on that line when it did the swing turn, kinda like the right wheel was attached to the line.
When my robot did the point turn it sort of revolved around in a circle. If I put a quarter underneath the my robot before it turned the quarter would be in the same position under the robot after completing the point turn.
14. Describe a situation where:
a. A swing turn is more useful than a point turn.
- A swing turn would be preferable in a situation where something was coming up behind it and the robot had to turn and also get out of the way
b. A point turn is more useful than a swing turn.
- Point turns are the bomb-diggity when my robot has to turn around and face its opponent stay in the line of fire, and being able to totally destroy the enemy!
Just kidding. That would be pretty useful, but if my robot was in a very small area, like perhaps searching for a lost kitten that into a pipe, it would be easier to turn right around than to flip around.
-The robot make a º270 right turn.
2. Which motor(s) spun?
-Only motor C spun.
3. What direction did each motor spin?
-Motor B didn't spin. Motor C spun right, or forward.
4. Did the robot's body turn to its left or its right?
- To the right.
5. About how much did the robot's body turn, relative to a full turn?
- 3/4 of a turn.
6. This behavior is called a "swing" turn. Around what point does the robot swing?
- The robot swings around the right wheel.
7. Write a brief one or two sentence description of what each icon in the program "Swing Turn" does.
- First block: move block. It makes the left wheel (port C) spin forward.
- Second block: move block. It is programed to make the right wheel (port B) brake, allowing the stay completely still.
- Third block: wait block. This block lets the robot only complete 2 wheel rotations.
- Fourth block: move block programmed to make right wheel (port C) brake.
- Fifth block: move block. The move blocks is programmed to make the right wheel (port B) brake.
8. The robot started at position A on the diagram shown here. It then turned in place until it reached position B.
a. Can you tell which direction it turned to get to this position? Explain why or why not.
- No, I can't tell which what it turned. It could be turning left or right.
b. Suppose the robot turn to its left to reach position B. What fraction of a full turn did it make to get from A to B?
- 1 3/4
c. Suppose the robot turned to its right to reach position B. What fraction of a full turn did it make to get from A to B?
- 1/4 turn
9. Consider the effects of some additional factors.
a. How do you think different wheels will affect the robot's ability to turn? Does it matter?
- Different size wheels would call for a different amount of rotations if I wanted my robot to go the same distance.
b. Does the surface on which the robot is turning matter?
- Yes, it could slip or get stuck on paper. My robot could stick to carpet more than it would stick to wood floors.
10. The robot in the given program turned right by moving its left wheel forward while holding its right wheel stationary.
a. Could you also turn right by holding the left wheel stationary and running the right wheel in reverse?
- Maybe.... its sounds logically possible.
11. What program blocks are different between the let turn and original right turn behaviors?
- No blocks are different, but the direction of the first motor blocks are different. The wait block is programmed to recognize a different direction.
12. Could a left turn also be done with the backward-moving wheel idea from question 10? program your robot to make the backward-left turn.
- sure
13. Describe the difference between the morion of a swing turn and a point turn.
- The Swing Turn is a pretty literal description. It sort of "swings" on its right wheel. So if there was a line drawn on a surface, the robot would still be on that line when it did the swing turn, kinda like the right wheel was attached to the line.
When my robot did the point turn it sort of revolved around in a circle. If I put a quarter underneath the my robot before it turned the quarter would be in the same position under the robot after completing the point turn.
14. Describe a situation where:
a. A swing turn is more useful than a point turn.
- A swing turn would be preferable in a situation where something was coming up behind it and the robot had to turn and also get out of the way
b. A point turn is more useful than a swing turn.
- Point turns are the bomb-diggity when my robot has to turn around and face its opponent stay in the line of fire, and being able to totally destroy the enemy!
Just kidding. That would be pretty useful, but if my robot was in a very small area, like perhaps searching for a lost kitten that into a pipe, it would be easier to turn right around than to flip around.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Full Speed Ahead Lab #1
1. What happened when you ran the program?
-One the left wheel moved.
2. Which motor spun?
- Port C, the one to the left wheel.
3. What direction did the motor spin?
-Forward
4. Did the motor stop spinning on its own?
-Yes, after a while. Maybe it was just coasting to a stop.
5. Is this the desired behavior yet?
-No, not yet.
6. Why is the second motor command needed?
- With only one motor command the robot will only turn in circles, so the second motor command keeps the robot going forward.
7. Why did the robot not stop at the right place before?
- It was commanded to coast, not brake.
8. What is the difference between downloading a program and running a program? When do you need to do each one?
- Downloading a program is setting something up and putting it into the machine. Running a program means having a device follow the commands I've programmed.
9. Which of the following determines the order in which blocks are fun in the program? Circle one.
- b. the order of blocks on the white Sequence beam. The program starts at the small NXT symbol, and follows the blocks in the order they are reached along the white beam.
10. Write a brief one or two sentence explanation of what each block does in the program describe in wrote.
1. First block: The first block is a motor block. It is telling the left wheel to go forward at a certain amount of speed.
2. Second block: The second block is also a motor block. It is doing the same thing as the first block, but it's communicating with the right wheel in port B.
3. Third block: The third block is a wait block. It tells the wheels how many rotations to wait.
4. Fourth block: The fourth block is a motor block that tells the left wheel to brake.
5. Fifth block: The fifth block is another motor block that tells the right wheel to brake.
11. look at your program.
a. Which icon or icons in the program controlled how fat the robot went before stopping?
-The wait block, i think. it would make more sense that the motor blocks told the robot how far to go, but i messed around with the wait block and i think that's what controls the rotations.
b. Explain how you could change the program to make the robot go a longer or shorter distance.
- The wait block tells the wheels how many degrees to rotate, so i could program the wait block to go more degrees or less degrees.
12. Describe the robot's new movement pattern if you moved the motor plug from Port B to Port A, but did not change the program. How would you then need to change the program to make the robot go forward again?
- If i moved the motor plug from Port B to Port A the robot would not be able to move its right wheel. I'd need to change the program to make the Port A control the movement of the right wheel.
13. Describe the robot behavior that this program produces when run
- Well, the robot will go forward for a certain amount of time, and then stop.
14. How far will the program shown below make the robot run? Look carefully, this is trickier than it seems!
- The robot will go forward 1,440 degrees and then stop.
15. What program blocks are different between the moving forward and moving backward behaviors?
- The direction arrows are different.
16. Did your robot perform both actions as expected? If not, what did it do instead?
- Well, it didn't do what I wanted at first. It wouldn't go backwards, and then it would go backwards too far. I just had to reprogram it.
17. Why did the rotation sensor need to be reset?
- The robot would go forward º720, and then go backward º1,440 to the -º720 mark. I reset the sensor to 0 after the robot went forward º720 so that the robot would end where it started.
18. When do you need to do this in future programs?
- um, well I'll probably need to do it it i want the robot to pick something up and then carry it back.
19. Why doesn't the robot go exactly the same distance every time?
- Sometimes the robot slips, or gets stuck on paper or something of the sort.
20. Why doesn't the robot go perfectly straight?
- I had a cord running down and touching one of my wheels. It kept sticking and keeping the wheel from rotating so my robot was going a bit crooked.
-One the left wheel moved.
2. Which motor spun?
- Port C, the one to the left wheel.
3. What direction did the motor spin?
-Forward
4. Did the motor stop spinning on its own?
-Yes, after a while. Maybe it was just coasting to a stop.
5. Is this the desired behavior yet?
-No, not yet.
6. Why is the second motor command needed?
- With only one motor command the robot will only turn in circles, so the second motor command keeps the robot going forward.
7. Why did the robot not stop at the right place before?
- It was commanded to coast, not brake.
8. What is the difference between downloading a program and running a program? When do you need to do each one?
- Downloading a program is setting something up and putting it into the machine. Running a program means having a device follow the commands I've programmed.
9. Which of the following determines the order in which blocks are fun in the program? Circle one.
- b. the order of blocks on the white Sequence beam. The program starts at the small NXT symbol, and follows the blocks in the order they are reached along the white beam.
10. Write a brief one or two sentence explanation of what each block does in the program describe in wrote.
1. First block: The first block is a motor block. It is telling the left wheel to go forward at a certain amount of speed.
2. Second block: The second block is also a motor block. It is doing the same thing as the first block, but it's communicating with the right wheel in port B.
3. Third block: The third block is a wait block. It tells the wheels how many rotations to wait.
4. Fourth block: The fourth block is a motor block that tells the left wheel to brake.
5. Fifth block: The fifth block is another motor block that tells the right wheel to brake.
11. look at your program.
a. Which icon or icons in the program controlled how fat the robot went before stopping?
-The wait block, i think. it would make more sense that the motor blocks told the robot how far to go, but i messed around with the wait block and i think that's what controls the rotations.
b. Explain how you could change the program to make the robot go a longer or shorter distance.
- The wait block tells the wheels how many degrees to rotate, so i could program the wait block to go more degrees or less degrees.
12. Describe the robot's new movement pattern if you moved the motor plug from Port B to Port A, but did not change the program. How would you then need to change the program to make the robot go forward again?
- If i moved the motor plug from Port B to Port A the robot would not be able to move its right wheel. I'd need to change the program to make the Port A control the movement of the right wheel.
13. Describe the robot behavior that this program produces when run
- Well, the robot will go forward for a certain amount of time, and then stop.
14. How far will the program shown below make the robot run? Look carefully, this is trickier than it seems!
- The robot will go forward 1,440 degrees and then stop.
15. What program blocks are different between the moving forward and moving backward behaviors?
- The direction arrows are different.
16. Did your robot perform both actions as expected? If not, what did it do instead?
- Well, it didn't do what I wanted at first. It wouldn't go backwards, and then it would go backwards too far. I just had to reprogram it.
17. Why did the rotation sensor need to be reset?
- The robot would go forward º720, and then go backward º1,440 to the -º720 mark. I reset the sensor to 0 after the robot went forward º720 so that the robot would end where it started.
18. When do you need to do this in future programs?
- um, well I'll probably need to do it it i want the robot to pick something up and then carry it back.
19. Why doesn't the robot go exactly the same distance every time?
- Sometimes the robot slips, or gets stuck on paper or something of the sort.
20. Why doesn't the robot go perfectly straight?
- I had a cord running down and touching one of my wheels. It kept sticking and keeping the wheel from rotating so my robot was going a bit crooked.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Assignment #1
Everybody is health conscious. Obesity has us all scared into low-fat milk and 100 calorie cookies. Nearly 34 percent of adults are obese, more than double the percentage 30 years ago. The amount of obese children tripled to 17 percent. What if there was a way to enjoy foods you love, without accidentally going overboard? If I had absolutely everything I needed to build the robot I think would best serve the human world, I would create a robot that could be surgically attached to the stomach to help people eat healthier. My robot will help people eat healthier by checking their blood sugar and caloric intake on a thrice-daily schedule.
My robot is just a little band, much like the Live Strong bands everyone wears on their wrist. It won’t damage your inside, or cause any complications with your body’s normal functioning. A simple incision will be made to the entry of the stomach so a tiny part of the band will be able to take a sample of the foods that the body is about to digest.
By attaching my robot to the stomach, the robot would be visibly hidden, thus not embarrassing the person who uses it. Sometimes I find myself forgetting all the things I put in my mouth, but with the robot attached to my stomach I would be reminded that I have eaten to my caloric extent. If a person is low on a type of vitamin, vitamin c for example, my robot will have the capability of sending a list of types of food to supply the needed vitamin via text message. During a healthy lunch of burgers and cheesy fries, a person might get a message from the robot saying; "needed vitamin- C. Suggested foods- oranges, tomatoes, kiwi." Much like a diabetic checks their blood sugar, my robot would have the capability of painlessly, and routinely, checking a person’s blood sugar while they are eating. You won’t have to worry about weather you should order a BLT or a salad because my robot will be there to tell you when enough is enough of anything.
Of course, if you would rather eat a gigantic salad instead of half of a BLT, and you are wondering if there is any way to make the salad more healthy and delicious, my robot can suggest to you what type of dressing might have the fewest calories, what toppings to stay away from. Simply text your robot the code for “romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, ham, ranch dressing, 300 grams” and the robot might text back saying “omit ham, use tuna. Add spinach leaves.” Each of my robots will come with a manual that lists the codes for every type of food and ingredient that could be imagined.
My robot would solve the problem of over-eating with its ability to gauge the caloric intake of a person. By presetting a person’s daily calorie diet, 4,000 for example, my robot would send a warning, via text message, that the daily allotment of calories is running out. No more eating out of boredom, because the robot will be aware of your eating habits, and will advise you to cease and desist.
When I’m super stressed-out because of a 1,000-word essay I have to write I sometimes snack while I work. Needless to say, a bag of M&M’s is more enjoyable than a bag of celery, so I find myself going to bed with a tummy ache. (Eating right before bed also gives me nightmares.) My handy dandy robot senses the body’s sleeping habits and will text you to stop eating and drink some water if it perceives you are snacking too close to the time you usually go to bed.
If a diabetic is tired of having to prick their fingers to give a blood sugar sample, my robot is the perfect solution.
People everywhere will be using my robot because of its discreet location, and its effectiveness will increase its popularity. Of course, you can always choose to not take the advice my robot will offer. My robot will not take over your mind and make you believe that if you eat a slice of pizza your stomach will explode. My robot has absolutely no risk of turning against the human race. If a potential consumer is concerned about using my robot inside their body because they think there is a risk of my robot taking over their mind, they will need to answer the question; “how can something located at your stomach affect your brain?” Of course there is always the possibility that my robot will use food as leverage. “I will squeeze your stomach so no food will get in until you kill the president of the United States.” But I will program my robot not to do that. So everyone can rest assured that starving people would not be running around doing my robots biding.
I feel that my robot is the smartest way to aid people on the quest to a healthier lifestyle. All over the globe people will be talking about my amazing robot, and the incredible results they were able to achieve with its help.
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