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Computer programmed systems improved our manufacturing facilities long ago when robots were used to move heavy machines and perform very precise and repetitive work.
Today, automated drones are helping save lives and we are becoming more reliant on robots in our every day lives. Check out the videos below to learn more about this.
Programming and Automating Robots
Programming and Automating Robots
Now that you are experienced with building mechanisms with VEX robotics kits, you will learn to automate VEX builds through programming.
In an automated system, computer-controlled machines must be told to do every specific task they perform. It is important to be specific when planning and creating a computer program. Humans do so much automatically because of the natural responses we have learned over time. Due to those learned responses, when we think about what we need to tell a computer model to do, it is easy to leave out steps.
A computer program uses a sequence of behaviors to complete a task. When writing a computer program, the programmer weaves together the behaviors that need to occur for the task to be completed.
A behavior is anything your robot does: turning on a single motor is a behavior, navigating a maze is a behavior.
Behaviors can be complex, such as a robot moving through a maze, or can be smaller, simple behaviors such as moving forward for a set amount of time. Simple behaviors can be broken down even further into basic behaviors, such as moving forward.
We will be using an application called VEXcode VR to program a virtual robot before we begin to code using the VEX V5 equipment. VEXcode VR uses block language for beginner coders, but can be switched to Python text for more advanced programmers.
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