TOP TIPS ON ROBOT BUILDING AND PROGRAMMING

• When you start creating a robot – begin with a simple robot build. This will help you understand how it works
• When you make changes to a robot – make them one at a time. Test it. This way you can see the impact of the change on your robot
• The first two rules also apply when writing programs for your robot
• Remember – because something is ‘complicated’ doesn’t make it better
• Experiment and have fun!

LET’S DO A REALLY QUICK BUILD…

In the video Colin does a really quick build with LEGO Mindstorms EV3. This build allows you to get up and running quickly and to get focused on programming, while also giving you a great basis on which to develop your robot. It will soon be moving smoothly over the Robot Challenge Mat – hopefully!

It is not perfect (quite flimsy in places!) but it is a great starting point.

Let’s get building…

LET’S GET PROGRAMMING…

We are about to create a program to get our robot moving. There are two videos to explain this depending on whether you are using the desktop or tablet version.

FORGET THE CHALLENGE MAT FOR A MOMENT – GET MOVING!

• Why not set up a ‘start’ and ‘finish’ line a set distance apart – who can get a robot to finish on the line – how did they work it out?
• Get the robots racing – there and back! Boomerang robots!
• Make physical changes to the robot. Make one change at a time so that you can see the impact of the change! These might be different sized wheels, making a more sturdy robot, etc
• Everyone loves to make one motor go in one direction and the other go in the other (for example Motor B at 100 and Motor C at -100). Try it and see what happens!

GREAT SUPPORT FROM LEGO EDUCATION

DESKTOP:
From the LOBBY (the starting page) go to ROBOT EDUCATOR and choose STRAIGHT MOVE. This is another way to move your robot. The sample program shows how you can move it for Rotations, Degrees and Seconds. Try it! Which BLOCK do you prefer to use – the MOVE TANK or STEERING! We prefer the MOVE TANK but the great thing about robotics is there are many different solutions to problems!

APP:
From the LOBBY (the starting page) choose MAKE A STRAIGHT MOVE. This is another way to move your robot. The sample program shows how you can move it for Rotations, Degrees and Seconds. Try it! Which BLOCK do you prefer to use – the MOVE TANK or STEERING! We prefer the MOVE TANK but the great thing about robotics is there are many different solutions to problems!