SKILL DEFINITION & VOCABULARY

What do robots do?

Robots are usually designed and programmed by humans to complete repetitive tasks. For example, picking fruit and vegetables in the farming industry requires people to perform the same action over and over again, often in uncomfortable positions. Robots are now being used to identify food that is ripe based on color sensors and pick our fruit all day and all night!

What is programming?

Programming is a term used for the instructions that humans give to robots. There are several programming languages that have been invented to "speak" to robots and tell them what to do. One such language is called "ROBOT C". This is the language we will use to tell our LEGO Mindstorms kits what to do.

DESIGN TOOLS

LEGO Mindstorms

You will be using the LEGO Mindstorms for Education Chrome Addon to program your robot. The programming terms that you will need to learn for are outlined on this Quizlet.

Check out the many ways to build your bot using the LEGO Mindstorms Education website

Build your Driver Base

CS2N

Sign up for Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy and join the modules.
- As you're building, learn about how to program basic movement
- Then move on to how to use the sensors
- Finally, learn how to configure more complex decisions (loops)

Sensors

This tutorial shows you how to program the sensors on your bot!

10 point Challenges (MOVEMENT)

Moonwalk

Program your robot to move forward, wait for 3 seconds and move back.

Move a Meter

Get your robot to go forward exactly 1 meter.

Perfect Circle

Program your robot to go in a perfect circle, stopping and starting at the same point. Both wheels must move.

Robot Dance

Team up with another group to create a simultaneous dance using the steps below:

Wait 1 sec
Back 3, Wait 1 Sec
Fwd 3, Wait 2 sec
Back 2, Wait 1 Sec
Back 2, Wait 1 sec
Fwd 4, Wait 2 Sec
Spin Right 2, Wait 1 sec
Wait 1 sec
Spin left 2, Wait 1 sec

20 point Challenges (SENSORS)

Patrol Bot

Touch Sensor

Program your robot to patrol an area and react if it detects something using a sensor.

The Clapper

Ultrasonic Sensor

Program your robot using the sound sensor to move forward when someone claps and stop with a second clap.

Hints

• A clap looks like a large spike in sound volume.

• A spike is composed of two parts: a sharp rise, and a sharp drop in volume.

• Make sure the first clap is done before you start listening for the second one!

• You may need to account for the difference in “quiet” levels when the robot’s motors are running vs. still.

Walk the Line

Color Sensor

Program your robot to follow a set route you have created using black tape.

Dizzy Bot

Gyroscope Sensor

Program your robot to move through the following course.

30 point Challenges (LOOPS)

Scoopin' Blues

Program your robot to locate and and pick up a blue, (not red) ball!

Vacuum Cleaner

Program your robot to act like a vacuum cleaner in a square

Seek & Shoot

Program your robot to find a cup and throw ball the ball into it after hearing a clap.

Ping Pong Cup

Program your robot to do the following:

pick up a ping pong ball
move forward 1 meter
turn left 90 degrees
move forward half a meter
drop the ball into a cup that is 10 cm high

SUMO BOT CHALLENGE!

You will have 10 lessons to do the following:

Learn how to program in ROBOT C
Complete challenges that help you learn how to perform basic movements, use sensors and then combine your code to program more complex combinations.
Design your Battle Bot to seek and destroy other bots in the Sumo Ring!

SUMO TOURNAMENT RULES

Battle Bot Specifications

Must have a 2 second pause block at the beginning
Must begin battle back-to-back
Must move within 5 seconds
Must not stay still for more than 10 seconds during the match
No more than 3 motors
No more than 2 touch sensors
No more than 1 light sensor
No more than 1 color sensor
No more than 1 ultrasonic sensor
No objects that can permanently damage equipment (i.e. no sharp objects)
No spying on each others robots before the 1st battle or DQ

How the winner is decided

Each battle can last only 2 minutes maximum

Winning team gets 1 point, Draw gets 0 points

To win,

Push opponent off board FIRST!
Immobilize robot for 10 seconds or more...

Format and Battle Rules

You will have a total of 10 lessons, to plan (strategize), engineer and program your robot.
You will battle all teams in class and a league table will be made, showing the overall winner.
Eventually the top 2 from each class will fight the top 2 from the other classes, with overall winner being crowned Battle Bot champions!
Battles will occur on a raised circular battle board.
In between battles, you will have the opportunity to fix, adjust, re-strategize your robot ready for the next opponent. Make sure you check your fixture list so that you know when you will have a break in between battles to make adjustments.
Once called for battle, you must have robot on board within 30 seconds, or you will be disqualified.
Once robot is on battle board, you are not allowed to modify your robot.

2 will enter...only 1 will leave

Round Robin Tournament Links:

Google Sites

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