Summer Robotics 3

Our Robotics 3 camp is off to a great start this week.  Robotics 3 is a coding continuation of Robotics 2.  We're exploring all the possibilities within EdBlocks (the basic coding language for Edison).  We have a mixed bag of participants in Robotics 3 this time around.  Some kids are coming right from Robotics 2 last week, others did Robotics 2 during Spring Break, and still others are jumping in for the first time.  We started off our class by drawing what we think of when we are picturing robots.  We had a fun variety of ideas come up.  After each applicable idea I was able to show a video of a real life robot that is similar to what each student shared.  We watched short video clips of a spider robot, a humanoid robot falling over, a humanoid robot walking and running successfully, and a lawn mowing robot.  We reviewed the three parts that make a machine a robot (computer, sensors, and actuators) and reviewed how coding is telling the computer one step at a time how to do something. 

 We worked through a series of challenges to program our robot to avoid obstacles.  We started with a base program that used the infrared sensor to detect an obstacle and stop the robot.  Then we tried the program with a variety of obstacles for Edison.  We explored why he didn't stop before hitting the clear Lego bricks and why he was pushed around the glass jar rather than stopping before hitting it.  Then we worked on programming Edison to back up, turn around, and repeat the code so he could drive around without hitting anything.  The final challenge was to have Edison alert us when he detects an obstacle.  We did that by adding a beeping sound.  At home you could try the same program and have Edison flash his lights to alert us instead.

We also worked on programming Edison to bounce within borders.  That means that he uses the light sensor on the bottom to detect when he runs into a black line and then backs up, turns around, and drives off again.  It's like an invisible fence - only it's a black line on a table.  Some of our group was able to start playing with making music with Edison.  This gets a little tricky for some and those kids that play the piano definitely have an advantage.  We're working with coding blocks that have 1/8th notes, 1/4 notes, half notes, and whole notes, and we have to pick out the right note from a staff picture.  It's a little challenging, but with a litter perseverance we'll get Edison to play a variety of songs.  We'll pick up with music first thing on Thursday so we'll all get the chance to make him "sing".